Why Your Employees Still Might Not Be Getting the Menopause Support They Need

Women of perimenopausal or menopausal age are the fastest-growing work demographic, with almost eight in ten currently in full or part-time employment.

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Thankfully, an increasing number of businesses and organisations are getting informed about menopause and taking action to ensure that every female employee gets the support she deserves.

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They’re attending my Menopause in the Workplace training sessions, creating menopause policies and putting adjustments into place so this key talent can thrive and perform at their best, regardless of the natural physical transition they are experiencing.

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With this in mind, it might surprise you to know that even if employers take these essential steps, many women still aren’t receiving the support and guidance they need.

So, why might this be? How come these women still struggle in the workplace, despite the steps that their employers have put into place?

More importantly, what can be done to ensure that every female employee enjoys an inclusive, supportive work environment that helps them perform at their best?

What is the problem, then?

There are many reasons why your efforts to raise awareness and support women through their perimenopause or menopause aren't delivering the results that you expected. The most common are as follows:

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Reason #1: Women lack an understanding of their bodies

It always surprises me to learn just how many women don’t understand their bodies at all. It's not their fault.

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Even though they’ve likely experienced menstruation and perhaps even had children, they don’t know the changes happening in their bodies at this time or even what they need to feel at their best.

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Without this basic knowledge, these women are even more likely to struggle when it comes to perimenopause or menopause. They’re less likely to realise that their symptoms are caused by perimenopause or menopause, be unable to make sense of them and, worst still, feel clueless when it comes to what to do.

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With this in mind, how could we expect them to communicate their needs to their employer when they don’t understand themselves?

Problem #2: Women feel disempowered and afraid

Perimenopause and menopause can be tricky topics to discuss because, like many natural female bodily functions and ageing as a whole, they remain taboo or highly stigmatised.

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Thanks to awareness campaigns and inclusion policies in the workplace, this ignorance is starting to change.

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Nevertheless, many women are still reluctant to talk about their experience of perimenopause or menopause. They’re afraid that they will be judged, ridiculed or discriminated against if they share, perhaps even losing their job in the process.

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Therefore they keep this information to themselves, preferring to struggle with their brain fog, low energy and other symptoms and making their own adjustments like scheduling meetings and answering emails when they can better cope.

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Reason #3: Their employer aren’t asking the right questions?

As I always share in my Menopause in the Workplace webinars, training sessions and private consultancy work, open and honest communication is key when it comes to supporting female employees.

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Businesses and organisations can be proactive and invest in this training, but if they’re not aware of what these women face and asking the right questions, it might not have the impact they’d hoped for. They could also be left feeling unvalued and unimportant which, in turn, affects their company loyalty, motivation and your company image as a whole.?

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If you feel that this could be the problem, ask yourself the following questions:

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●?????“Did we work on creating an open and communicative work environment?”

●?????“Did we ask our female employees about the concerns and worries they had about their perimenopause, menopause or hormonal conditions?”

●?????“Did we ask how their experience of menstruation, perimenopause, menopause or hormonal conditions impact their performance and work attendance?”

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How do we ensure our female employees get the support they need to help them stay in the workplace?

With the above possible reasons in mind, it’s clear that there is much more we can do to ensure women receive maximum benefit from new inclusion-based policies such as Menopause in the workplace. Here are my tips:

1. Educate, educate, educate

Start by offering women the information they need to understand what is happening in their unique bodies, the impact that hormones can have on their physical bodies and mood and the easy steps they can take to feel better.

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When they have access to this information, they’ll also better communicate their needs and be more ready to answer your questions.

2. Make menopause ‘the norm’

As well as providing this essential information, employers should foster a workplace culture of both understanding and open communication.

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Female employees shouldn’t feel that hormonal issues or the perimenopause/menopause transition is a problem or weakness and instead be encouraged to express their needs. Of course, changing a workplace culture can take time, but transformation can happen with the right effort.

3. Ask the right questions

When talking to your female employees about perimenopause or menopause, ensure you’re actively listening to their responses and encouraging them to open up about their concerns, worries or struggles.

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To get the information you need, it can be useful to use an anonymous questionnaire as it can help put women at ease when talking about this topic.

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4. Get specialised professional support

As an experienced Menopause in the Workplace consultant, I understand the challenges you face as an employer in the 21st century. Therefore, if you aren’t noticing the benefits of your efforts so far, get in touch with me.

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I can discuss our Smart Pillars approach with you, helping you to empower your employees so they can become their own health detectives. This will stop them from feeling like victims of their hormones and instead feel confident in their abilities and start enjoying life again.

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You’ll also notice a vast improvement in productivity, efficiency, focus and even staff loyalty as they feel understood, supported and valued.

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Once we grasp the fact that our female employees will thrive when provided the right tools and support within an environment of open communication and honesty, we can make these changes and retain our key female talent.

Want to learn more about my Menopause in the Workplace training sessions, webinars or consultancy? Contact me today.

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Hi, I'm Pamela Windle, and?I help forward-thinking organisations support their female employees to thrive in menstruation and menopause.

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