Managing the menopause at work

Hello, my name is Michelle Anderson and I'm the director of HR OD and Employee Experience at Benenden Hospital. I'm here today to provide some information and guidance around managing menopause in the workplace. Before I do that, I'd like to remind you that menopause is a natural part of aging and usually occurs between the ages of 45 and 55. It is related to the decline of estrogen levels. Some women can start the menopause much younger than others. Some women can fly through it without symptoms whilst others have many difficult and challenging symptoms to deal with. And this can have a significant impact on attendance and performance in the workplace.

The first thing to say is that you are not alone. Menopausal women are reported to be the fastest growing demographic in the workplace and many women may be struggling to manage the psychological and physical changes. Their bodies are going through a quarter of women will experience symptoms which can range from fairly regular things such as hot flushes and night sweats to more severe and sometimes debilitating symptoms such as increased anxiety, mood swings and depression. So it is really important that employers support menopause in the workplace and appreciate that menopause does not just affect women of a certain age. It can have an impact on colleagues, friends and families and therefore it is an organizational issue.

If you are menopausal and struggling with your health, you should first make yourself aware of what organizational support there is for you. Many employers have a variety of support initiatives available such as employee assistance programs, occupational health referrals and access to mental health advisor or helplines. Here at Benenden Hospital, we have run educational and awareness sessions and we strive to encourage a culture whereby women and men feel comfortable to raise their concerns and that no matter is a taboo matter. At the very least, your employers should be empathetic to your concerns and be prepared to discuss them with you. Managers have a vital role to play in supporting the health and well being of their teams. And you would hope that your employer promotes trusting and respectful relationships with managers to enable an environment to share concerns.

It is important that you know that you are entitled to the same support for menopausal symptoms as you would expect for any other health issue and your line manager support is crucial. So if you are not getting the right support from your manager, you should refer in the first instance to your HR department for further guidance. The menopausal decline of oestrogen can contribute to disrupted sleep as women can experience symptoms such as hot flushes and night sweats, which cause you to awaken. In addition, symptoms such as anxiety and a depressed mood can lead to difficulty in getting to sleep and then difficulty in remaining asleep. A lack of sleep can lead to a drop in job performance, concentration, productivity, and levels of job satisfaction. It can also lead to an increased risk of accidents, absenteeism and mood swings. And so it is important that we try to do what we can to limit that disruption.

Sleep is one of the most important elements of our well being. And there are some well documented tips to aid a restful night, such as following a regular sleep schedule, try to go to sleep and get up at the same time each day, wherever that's possible, develop a bedtime routine. Some people like to read a book, listen to soothing music or soak in a warm bath. It's about getting your body ready to sleep. Try not to watch television or use your computer or mobile device in the bedroom. The light from these devices may make it difficult for you to fall asleep. Keep your bedroom as comfortable as possible in terms of temperature, not too hot, not too cold and as quiet as possible. Exercise is really good for you and it should be done at regular intervals but not close to bedtime. Avoid eating large meals close to bedtime and stay away from caffeine late in the day. Caffeine as we know is found in many coffees and teas. But it also is in chocolate. And remember, alcohol won't help you sleep. Even small amounts, make it harder to stay asleep.

Endometriosis is a long term condition that can have a significant impact on your day to day activities. The main symptoms generally fall within pain in the lower tummy or back which is usually worse during your period, period. Pain, which can be severe enough to stop you doing your normal activities, pain during and after intercourse, pain when going to the toilet and generally feeling sick. You may also have heavy periods whereby you may need to use a lot of pads or tampons and even then you can bleed through your clothes. All of these are very personal symptoms and can be very difficult to manage both physically as well as emotionally and so it's not unusual to require time off from work when you're experiencing these symptoms.

If you're unfit to work, you may be entitled to statutory or occupational sick pay. It is also possible that in the event that symptoms cause a physical or mental impairment, which has a substantial and long term adverse effect on the ability to carry out your normal day to day activities. The condition could fall under the Equality Act and this means that an employer must consider whether there are any reasonable adjustments that could be made to support you and examples of reasonable adjustments in this context could be allowing you to work from home, reducing your hours during those times when you are most significantly affected, allowing flexible hours working so that you have more flexibility of when you can work or that absence related to this particular medical condition does not affect your absence management processes. So if you do have any questions over what your rights may be, there are many websites that can help and do refer to your HR department, occupational health or your employee assistance program.