Menopause at Work

In the 1981 Men at Work hit song Down Under '...women glow and men plunder'. Ever wondered what makes women 'glow'? Is it healthy radiance or could it be the onset of a hot flush?

Gosh... Is it warm in here?

Yes! And, this topic is only getting hotter. The impact of menopause in the workplace is huge and often underestimated. That's why we recently held two lunch and lean-in sessions on Menopause in the Workplace in partnership with the Australasian Menopause Society (AMS) where Dr Liz Rayment and Dr Amie Hanlon came to share their evidence-based insights on Menopause Awareness and Midlife Health at Work.

Other topline take outs:

• All women experience menopause (if they live long enough)
• 80 per cent of women experience menopausal symptoms, a third of them severe(!).
• On average, women spend about 33 years in the post-menopausal phase of their lives – that’s usually 30-40% of their lives.
• The number of post-menopausal women is increasing in countries with ageing populations.

Why are we talking about this?

Simply put, it's a matter of equality. Menopause is rarely a topic of open discussion in the workplace — even though nearly half of the world's population experiences it. By opening up discussions, support and options around menopause, we can move toward menopositivity.

In Australia, employment rates for women are rising. From 1971 to 2021 female employment rose from 37% to 58%. For those aged 45-54, it rose from 40% to 70%. With more women in the workforce and the retirement age increasing, it follows that many will be experiencing the menopausal transition in their working years.

“Currently, 77% of women aged 45-54 are in paid employment and peri/menopausal symptoms can have an impact on their day-today life at work,” says Dr Liz.

It's also about attracting and retaining talent. A menopause friendly workplace can improve productivity and performance and reduce personal leave that could result from menopausal symptoms.

Remember too that organisations have legal responsibilities to their employees, including providing a safe and healthy working environment which does not adversely impact on health, and which is free from discrimination, both direct and indirect.

Stigma and shame have shrouded the normality of menopause in misery and misunderstanding for too long. Ultimately, there should be no place — including the workplace — for suffering in silence.

First... a few basics

Menopause is a normal biological process. It occurs when a woman hasn’t had a period for 12 months and is actually just one day in her life – the last day of her last menstrual period. After that, she is considered post-menopausal. The average age for menopause in Australia is 51 years and the normal range is between 45-54 years. If it occurs between 40-45 years, it is considered early menopause and before that it is known as premature menopause.

Perimenopause is the phase leading into menopause when periods can be heavy, scant and/or irregular and hormone levels can fluctuate dramatically causing a (largely unpleasant, uncomfortable and unwelcome) variety of symptoms. In post-menopause, reproductive hormones oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone flatline and while some symptoms abate, others persist and women's risk of cancers and health issues increases.

The experience of perimenopause, menopause and post-menopause differs from woman to woman and changes over time as each one transitions from fertile to infertile years.

Let's talk symptoms

Hormonal changes cause menopausal symptoms and most women will have symptoms that adversely affect their quality of life – usually for five to ten years(!!). As well as the change in menstrual periods, one of the most common symptoms of menopausal hormonal drop and/or fluctuations is hot flushes. Remember that 'glow' we mentioned earlier? Try, volcanic eruption!

Other disturbing symptoms include night sweats and problems sleeping, tiredness/exhaustion, poor concentration/less able to focus, poor memory, anxiety and mood changes, pain/inflammation of the joints, diminished libido, dry vagina, overactive bladder and urinary discomfort – to name just a few. Lack of oestrogen also adversely affects bone density, heart health and cognitive (brain) function. Lack of progesterone puts the lining of the womb at risk amongst other factors.

Dr Liz mentioned that the psychological symptoms associated with menopause such as loss of self-confidence, low self-esteem, anxiety and depressive symptoms are the ones that often affect women the most – especially in the workplace. They are also often misdiagnosed or dismissed by medical practitioners without specialised training or a focus on women’s health.

Moving through midlife

As Dr Liz points out, ‘midlife is a very complex time of life when there's usually a lot of other things going on’, adding that menopause symptoms can compound the pressures of children leaving home, financial difficulties, work stress, relationship issues and more.

She mentioned that while some women find this transition to be a liberating time of life, many experience it as a time of great loss — loss of youth, loss of attractiveness, loss of femininity. Some may unconsciously or consciously assess where they are in their lives and may question life choices, partner and direction.

Between symptoms and life stressors, it’s important to prioritise healthy choices and consider options for evidence-based treatment that range from non-hormonal supplements to hormone replacement therapy, which is now more commonly known as menopausal hormone therapy (MHT).

Is hormone therapy safe — and effective?

The short answer is — yes. However, there may be some women with risk of breast cancer and other diseases who have to consider non-hormonal therapy. AMS trained medical specialists are best-placed to advise.

From the Australasian Menopause Society, MHT is the best way to control menopausal symptoms and gives some women health benefits. Combined MHT (oestrogen plus progestogen) or oestrogen alone cause no significant increase in breast cancer or heart disease risk in women aged 50 to 59 or in women who start treatment within 10 years of menopause. Many of the myths about MHT come from Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) studies of 2002 and 2004. New information about MHT means doctors better understand the risks and benefits of MHT.

For more, refer to AMS’s 9 Myths and Misunderstandings about Menopausal Hormone Therapy and speak with a qualified practitioner.

Menopause in the workplace

Menopause is a gender- and age-equity issue and remains one of the last ‘unspoken’ issues in workplaces.

A 2021 study by Circle In and the Victorian Women’s Trust found 83% of women experiencing menopause were affected at work, but only 70% would feel comfortable speaking with their manager about it. The same study discovered that many women find it so difficult to manage both their symptoms and their work that they consider taking a career break or opt to retire early.

Hopefully, that's changing. There has certainly been much more awareness and media attention on this subject in recent years.

To build on that momentum, we’re investigating how employers can better support women through midlife and how the workplace can be optimised for early/premature/peri/menopause. Here’s a snapshot of what we’re learning and have already put in place to create a menopause-friendly workplace.

Considerations

1. Offer workplace training

Partner with peak bodies and invite their experts to share evidence-based knowledge such as the sessions we’ve just had with AMS representative practitioners.

Turn learnings into action.

Our peers with lived experience have set up a dedicated Menopause Support Group (in addition to our Women's Support Group) that will meet regularly so those involved can share experiences and advocate for change.

We’ve also diarised and will rally around awareness campaigns such as World Menopause Day on 18 October.

BVNers all have access to our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for confidential solutions-focused counselling with qualified clinical psychologists – on issues related to menopause and beyond.

2. Is it possible to modify workspaces for comfort?

Being able to adjust the physical work environment can help those experiencing menopausal symptoms.

BVN studios can be reconfigured with ease and BVNers have the option to vary their desk set up with sit-to-stand desks and tech that lets them roam and connect at any desk, pod, quiet space, open area or meeting room. We’re currently looking at the provision of desk fans for our studios and providing quiet rooms with localised temperature controls for retreat/focus as well as flex areas for stretching, in studio yoga/massage sessions, listening to calming/energising music.

BVN’s Brisbane studio won the Emil Soderson Award for Interior Architecture at the 2022 AIA National Awards as ‘treehouse, workplace and home to BVNers in the Queensland capital’. This tech-enabled hybrid workspace is bathed in sunlight, surrounded by greenery and entwined with nature. The beauty of the wintergarden terrace is it also has operable louvres for fresh air. All these things align with the healthy workplace recommendations for menopausal comfort and general wellbeing.

Our Sydney Studio is located close to Hyde Park for easy access to open green urban expanses. Its interior spaces include a social kitchen and forum as well as rooms and pods for meeting and retreating during the day. Timber panelling and indoor plants soften the post-industrial aesthetic, enhancing calm and reduce stress.

3. Make it possible for team members to vary work hours and work practices.

Flexible working arrangements are key to creating a menopause-friendly workplace. Balancing days in the office and days working from home can help when it comes to managing workloads, symptoms and obligations outside work.

BVN is committed to fostering a highly creative, collaborative and supportive work environment and has a Hybrid Working Guide and Formal Flex Guide to support and manage flexible working arrangements.

Flexibility can be spontaneous or ongoing. For instance, if a BVNer has trouble sleeping and/or night sweats and/or anxiety, they would be free to move morning meetings until the afternoon, and potentially make their mornings more flexible on a rolling basis.

We're also reviewing and updating our policies such as occupational health and safety, anti-discrimination policy, diversity and inclusion etc, to add menopause content. That way, menopause becomes embedded in our normal workplace operations.

4. Encourage healthy habits

In line with menopositive and wellbeing focused workplace recommendations, BVN

• encourages walking meetings and ensures team members have opportunities to get outside for walks, exercise, fresh air.
• encourages exercise and physical activity (with at least 30 minutes 5 times per week as the recommended minimum).
• offers and supports active clubs such as the Run Club, Swim Club, Dance Crew and employees initiate other social and sporting events such as soccer, cycling, basketball and softball.
• covers the entry fees for fun runs/rides as well as competitive programs from Sydney’s City to Surf to the Gold Coast Corporate Triathlon
• offers fruit and healthy snacks replenished daily instead of junk food.
• has easy on-tap access to ice cold (and hot) drinking water available in all our studios.

We’re also looking at offering optional mindfulness and meditation sessions.

5. Foster engagement and connections

Purposeful work and job satisfaction is really important to mental health and wellbeing – throughout every career and especially during menopause – as is building meaningful rapports with more people in your office and work area.

• BVN hosts ‘Getting to Know You’ presentations, Friday team lunches/drinks, themed events and outings.
• We have implemented a ‘buddy system’ for newbies and mentoring programs to help navigate career trajectories along with other formal and informal connection mechanisms.
• BVN fosters a diverse and inclusive (D&I) workplace where D&I is represented through all levels of the business. Our D&I Working Group meets monthly to ensure the practice is open, empowering and enabling.
• BVN encourages social activities including Trivia Nights and Culture Club events and BVND (band) sessions.

Where to next?

We're glad you're asking. Now that you know how addressing menopause at work can benefit both employers and employees, you'll find the AMS website offers more information on Menopause in the Workplace, including advice on:

• how employers and organisations can improve menopause awareness
• how managers and supervisors can improve menopause awareness
• how can employees with menopausal symptoms improve their workplace experience
• and, where employers and employees can find more information about menopause.

We also recommend referring to the Women's Health East resource How to Become a Menopause-Friendly Workplace and the 5-Minute Manager Guide to Menopause and Reasonable Accommodation Practices for additional advice.

Here's to menohealth, menopositivity — and menopower!

We extend our thanks to the Australasian Menopause Society and to Dr Liz Rayment, Dr Amie Hanlon for joining us in the studio and online for the first sessions in our Mind the Gap series. Mind the Gap provides a platform for important conversations on subjects that are topical, sometimes controversial and too often invisible/unspoken. Through this initiative, we’re exploring avenues for shared understanding while advocating for holistic health and wellbeing in the workplace — and beyond.

Stay tuned for updates on our next Mind the Gap events.