Menopause and the Workplace
Increasingly women are working well into their 50s and 60s and beyond with this number expected to rise. Women are working through perimenopause, menopause and beyond which means managing the demands of work and home life whilst also dealing with sometimes severe symptoms and other issues related to Menopause,
Menopause and perimenopause symptoms can have a big impact on your daily life, including relationships, social life, family life and especially your work.
Everyone is going to feel different as not everyone will have the same symptoms. The symptoms usually start months or possibly years before your periods stop. This is known as the perimenopause.
What are the symptoms?
Changes to your periods
The first sign of the perimenopause is usually, but not always, a change in the normal pattern of your periods, for example they become irregular. Eventually you’ll stop having periods altogether.
Mental health symptoms
Common mental health symptoms of menopause and perimenopause include:
- changes to your mood, like low mood, anxiety, mood swings and low self-esteem
- problems with memory or concentration (brain fog)
Physical symptoms
Common physical symptoms of menopause and perimenopause include:
- hot flushes, when you have sudden feelings of hot or cold in your face, neck and chest which can make you dizzy
- difficulty sleeping, which may be a result of night sweats which make you feel tired and irritable during the day
- palpitations, when your heartbeats suddenly become more noticeable
- headaches and migraines that are worse than usual
- muscle aches and joint pains
- changed body shape and weight gain
- skin changes including dry and itchy skin
- reduced sex drive
- vaginal dryness and pain, itching or discomfort during sex
- recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs)
What might help?
Eating well and exercising have proven to be effective in looking after your wellbeing and can help with the symptoms during perimenopause and menopause.
DO
- Get plenty of rest, including keeping to regular sleep routines
- Eat a healthy diet
- Have calcium-rich food like milk, yoghurt and kale for healthy bones
- Exercise regularly
- Try yoga, tai chi or meditation
- Talk about your symptoms with others
- Talk to your doctor before taking any non-prescription drugs
DON’T
- Smoke
- Drink more than the recommended alcohol limit
How can work help you?
Adjustments that may help at work
Talk to your manager about workplace adjustments that might help you in managing your menopausal symptoms at work. Here are some ideas you could consider:
Working hours/location
- A change in working hours, or remote working.
- A reduction in travel or increased comfort breaks, dialing into meetings.
- Some possible adjustment to shift patterns.
Uniform / PPE
- A possible change to uniform requirements – avoids human-made fibres or close-fitting uniforms.
- Uniforms in various sizes to accommodate bloating / short term weight gain.
- If own clothes are worn, consider natural fibres over human-made fibres and wear layers.
Workspace
- Flexible and easy access to bathroom facilities, so may need to move to a desk nearer the toilets.
- Ensuring there is good ventilation (fan or open window or adjust air conditioning).
- Access to cold drinks.
- Regular breaks in a quiet space to be able to take a moment away from the working area.
- A desk fan.
- Using the welfare facilities to take a break (where facilities are available, following local processes) including kitchens, gardens and any quiet areas.
Is flexible working possible?
Flexible working time arrangements should be flexible enough to ensure that they meet the needs of workers experiencing the menopause who may require leave suddenly at short notice. They may also need more or lengthier ‘comfort’ breaks during the day.
Line Management Support
As menopause is still a very taboo subject, many women will feel uncomfortable going to their line manager, especially if they are a man, and other options should be available. This may be through human resources, or a welfare officer.
Workplace Environment
Risk assessments should be conducted to consider the specific needs of menopausal women and ensure that the working environment will not make their symptoms worse. Often, making simple changes to the working environment can help to alleviate the impact of some symptoms.
A risk assessment should look at issues such as:
- temperature and ventilation
- the materials used in any uniform or corporate clothing
- access to toilet facilities and access to cold water
- providing
Contact us today if you need help with your risk assessment, policies or further advice on 07592290601 or info@turnstone.me.
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