According to Women’s Health Concern, about a third of women experience severe menopausal symptoms that can have a significant impact on their quality of life. This situation is further complicated in the workplace, as women often face greater difficulty managing symptoms and may also experience fear and stigma when disclosing their menopausal status.

However, it is heartening to see more and more companies breaking taboos related to menopause, understood as the period in a woman’s life when she stops menstruating regularly, and adopting a socially responsible approach based on equality. environment for women at that stage of their lives, according to The New York Times.

Overcoming menopause in the work environment

While creating a supportive work environment for postmenopausal women may have been seen as wishful thinking recently, the adoption of policies, practices, and programs that seek to support and promote the physical, emotional, and mental well-being of postmenopausal women in the workplace is growing.

In the case of cities such as New York, there is growing interest on the part of corporate America to adopt practices already established in Great Britain to create a work place suitable for menopause, as women are considered menopausal women. the fastest growing workforce demographics.

More than 50 British organisations, including HSBC UK, Unilever UK and football clubs WesthamUnitedis now certified as “menopause friendly” through an accreditation developed by Chosen: Menopause at Worka British professional training firm.

A survey Recent estimates suggest that three in ten UK workplaces now have some form of menopause policy. There was even an award ceremony, held in London, for the most menopause-friendly company.

The government promotes pro-women policies

As a result of several hearings over the last two years in the UK Parliament on menopause in the workplace, the government recognizes the importance of implementing policies that include increased training so that recruiters and leaders in companies better understand the symptoms and how to deal with them.

Now this effort is coming to the United States. New York City Mayor Eric Adams vowed earlier this year to “shift the stigma around menopause in this city” and “create a more menopause-friendly workplace for working women in our city by improving our policies and buildings.”

There are several reasons to push for this change. A growing number of “women’s technology” companies and other entrepreneurs focused on women’s health are seeking profit opportunities in areas such as prescribing hormones and selling menopausal-themed energy bars.

In addition, employers are becoming aware that providing support is one way to keep experienced women in the workforce, due to increasing evidence that menopausal symptoms impact productivity and lead women to leave jobs, or consider doing so.

Employers Addressing Menopause in Work Settings

The first step in creating a menopause-friendly work environment is providing education to reduce stigma, according to Deborah Garlick, founder of Henpicked. This involves posting information on company websites and training employees and managers, regardless of gender.

Many people don’t realize, for example, that perimenopausal symptoms can start as early as a woman’s 30s, and that even small adjustments, such as allowing employees to take short breaks while symptoms worsen, can have a big impact. .

It is also helpful to appoint “menopausal warriors”—employees who are willing to speak up and help women find support. The higher your position in the company, the better. “When an organization demonstrates through its top leaders that it’s important and they take it seriously, that gives everyone permission to talk about it,” says Deborah Garlick.

In addition, workplaces can provide employees with access to care. Some are starting to contract with companies that offer virtual appointments with providers trained in menopause care, such as Mavens, Mid day And fresh healtha British company that recently opened an office in Brooklyn.

The company is addressing the workforce gap

There are an estimated 34 symptoms transition to menopauseand often these symptoms emerge just as women rise to higher levels in the workplace, adding additional challenges to the age barriers and sexism that already exist in many workplaces.

Partly because of a lack of education about menopause, many women don’t even know that their symptoms are related to hormonal changes.

However, some experts warn that disclosing menopausal symptoms also carries risks, as it can reinforce the notion that women become less productive at work as they age. In this case, Dr. Stephanie Faubion, medical director of the Menopause Society of North America, advises proceeding with caution.

“The last thing we need is some other reason to discriminate in the workplace against women and hurt them in any way by telling them menopause is a negative thing that needs adjustment.”

Dr Stephanie Faubion, medical director of the Menopause Society of North America.

Bristol Myers Squibb, a New York-based global pharmaceutical company, is in the early stages of rolling out menopause support to its US employees. of the Year” in 2022.

Carla Daily, global leader of the Bristol Myers Squibb Women’s Network, said the company’s first step was to set up a menopause information center on its intranet. Over time, they plan to give American employees the same opportunities as their British counterparts.

The steps being taken in the UK and those being glimpsed in the US are steps in the right direction towards ensuring gender equality in the workplace and contributing to women’s empowerment through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).