Workplace Wellbeing: Taking the heat out of menopause at work

Companies are introducing supports to help female employees going through menopause. The investment makes sound financial sense

Fri, 10 Mar, 2023 - 02:00

Sharon Ní Chonchúir

The inaugural National Menopause Summit takes place in the Mansion House in Dublin on Thursday, March 23. Moderated by broadcaster Gráinne Seoige and featuring TV presenter and menopause activist Davina McCall, along with some of Ireland’s leading menopause clinicians, professionals, and advocates, it aims to shift the current narrative around this transitional stage in every woman’s life.

“We’re aiming to provide a platform for debunking myths and taboos, to share inclusive fact-based information, and to advocate for support across women’s personal and workplace environments,” says Sinéad McNamara, founder and co-director of the National Menopause Summit.

One of the main objectives is to push for a new norm in Irish workplaces, and for employers to realise the importance of introducing supportive policies for women going through menopause.

Davina McCall wears a 'menopausing' slogan sweater

McNamara was inspired to set up the summit by her own challenging experience of menopause.

“I’m 54 now and in my late 40s, I started having some of the more commonly known symptoms such as hot flushes and disrupted sleep,” says McNamara, who is also co-director of events management company Best in Fest. “But in early 2020, I developed crippling brain fog and found it increasingly difficult to manage work. Things I’d previously taken in my stride like managing my diary began to cause me major problems.

“As time went by, I became more and more distressed by this. I’d always thought I was a strong and confident person and it felt like that was ebbing away. I remember telling my co-director Shell Holden that I wouldn’t be able to cope if things continued. I’d have to get a job mowing lawns or something like that.”

An estimated 570,000 women are currently going through menopause in Ireland. Some 350,000 of these women are in paid employment and, according to a 2021 survey by the Menopause Hub and business representative group IBEC, many of them are struggling.

The study involved 1,152 women, 52% of whom said menopause had affected their performance at work a little; 30% said it had affected their performance a lot; 39% had missed work because of their symptoms; 43% had considered quitting, and 12% had gone as far as doing so.

Katie Ridge, Adare Human Resource Management

‘Unlevel playing field’

Katie Ridge is head of employee relations at HR consultancy firm Adare Human Resource Management and is speaking at the National Menopause Summit.

“Out of a workforce of two and a half million, 350,000 is a large number by any estimate,” she says.

“We know that the menopausal stage can last for up to eight years. Those eight years tend to coincide with a time when women have accumulated the professional experience to take on more senior roles and more responsibility.

“Yet rather than accepting those roles and responsibilities, some are so impacted by menopause that they take the extreme decision to leave employment altogether. Others remain in the workplace and struggle.

“Something has to be done about this. If we don’t develop a workplace that is informed and enlightened in relation to the symptoms of menopause, then we have an unlevel playing field for women.”

Menopause-specific legislation does not exist in the Irish statute books but Ridge believes the health and safety and equality legislation we already have is adequate for what’s required.

“We have the Employment Equality Act, which covers equality on nine grounds, two of which are gender and disability,” she says.

“Depending on the severity of symptoms, menopause could come under both those headings. We also have health and safety legislation and one of the things we will be advocating for at the National Menopause Summit is for employers to carry out health and safety and risk assessments of the workplace in relation to menopausal women. We already do this for pregnant women.”

Ridge is also calling for standardised menopause policies to be introduced across workplaces.

“At the moment, policies are being led by individual private sector employment with enlightened leaders,” she says. “We want these policies to be offered by all employers.”

One-to-one consultations

Bank of Ireland is one of the companies leading the way with its menopause supports.

“On World Menopause Day (October 18) last year, we introduced a menopause policy to better support colleagues experiencing symptoms of perimenopause and menopause,” says Joanne Healy head of group employee relations.

“This includes up to ten days leave a year that can be used for anything menopause-related, from medical appointments to sickness absence. It doesn’t affect sick pay allocation and can be taken as whole days off or half days, as needs be. We have also offered women one-to-one consultations with menopause specialists if they need extra support.”

Hybrid working is also an option. “We know that for people experiencing adverse menopausal symptoms, working from home can help make things a bit more comfortable and help them perform better,” says Healy.

Efforts have been made to break down the stigma that surrounds menopause too.

“We’ve held webinars and discussions in which some of our colleagues have shared their lived experience of menopause, and it’s been powerful having them lead that conversation,” says Healy.

“We’ve issued guidance to managers so that they feel able to have more meaningful and straight-taking discussions about these issues.”

Bank of Ireland introduced its comprehensive menopause policy when it identified a gap in its supports. “We deal with maternity well in that we recognise the different needs of colleagues who are going through that life stage, but we weren’t taking that same approach to menopause,” says Healy.

“It’s another important stage where women need support.”

The bank is also aware that it’s in its own interest to support its most experienced and talented women. It has seen the figures, including one from Bloomberg, which claimed that $150bn is lost in productivity due to menopause every year.

“These are women on the verge of becoming senior leaders, and we want them to continue to perform and develop for themselves and us,” says Healy.

“We know that women leave the workforce because they don’t get the support they need. We don’t want that to happen to us so we’re trying to start the conversation, break the taboo, create awareness, and provide much-needed support.”

That’s also what McNamara is trying to do at this year’s National Menopause Summit, which she hopes to make an annual event.

“I didn’t end up quitting my job, but it took me two years to start feeling right again and when I did, I told myself I had to organise a menopause event,” she says.

“I knew there were other women like me out there. We needed an event that would inform us about the nuts and bolts of menopause, how to manage it and how to get the best outcome from both work and personal perspectives.

“If they are lucky to live long enough, 50% of the world’s population will experience menopause. It’s not a choice for us. It’s vital that we learn to work with it and through it and receive the right supports to do so.”