I was in an important meeting recently. The conference room was warmer than I had expected, and I was dressed for the cool, crisp autumn-in-New-York day outside. Then, in the middle of my presentation, I felt it: a hot flush. I was worried my pink chest and neck would give me away, and I was distracted by the bead of sweat that made its way down my back.
I made a quippy remark about it and moved on. In my line of work, making light of your own perimenopausal symptoms is no big deal. But not all perimenopausal women are so lucky.
With the publication of the Menopause Society’s recommendations for menopause in the workplace, there have been a flurry of media reports on the topic. This made me curious how you, the readers of Hot Flash, have been experiencing perimenopause at work. So a few weeks ago, I asked you to fill out a brief survey and about 600 (!) of you responded.
Today I’m excited to dig into those results with you. Let’s take a look at the data and recommendations from the Menopause Society, and from you — real women navigating perimenopause while pursuing busy professional lives.
Menopause symptoms in the workplace
In its report, the Menopause Society observes both that menopause symptoms affect productivity in the workplace and that the workplace affects menopause symptoms. It is important to note that this is a two-way street — it is not just that symptoms may affect the quality of a woman’s work, but working conditions may be a factor that worsens those symptoms.
A U.K. survey cited in the report found that 1 in 10 respondents had missed work in the past year because of menopause symptoms. It also found that women with bothersome hot flushes report poorer work performance than those women who do not experience menopause symptoms.
In a survey of women between the ages of 45 and 60 — peak career years for many women — from the Mayo Clinic, 13% of respondents reported that menopause symptoms impacted their work, causing them to reduce their work hours, miss workdays, and even quit their jobs or retire early. Not surprisingly, more severe symptoms were associated with bigger effects on career trajectory. Furthermore, many women did not feel comfortable sharing their symptoms with their coworkers or supervisors.
Several surveys included in the report catalog the ways in which workplaces might contribute to menopause symptoms. The physical work environment is often cited. Temperatures in rooms that cannot be controlled, crowded or confined workspaces, insufficient restroom facilities, and poor workstation design all may be a factor in worsening menopause symptoms. However, many women say that long, unpredictable, or inflexible work hours, and work stress, also contribute to their symptoms.
Hot Flash readers’ experience of menopause in the workplace
The studies above focused largely on vasomotor symptoms — hot flushes and night sweats. But Hot Flash readers reported that brain fog and fatigue, not vasomotor symptoms, were the main symptoms affecting their work performance. Mood changes and apathy were mentioned frequently too.
“I have been a driven professional in health care, even through the years I had babies!” reported one reader. “My focus is diminished, I forget words, and I’ve had headaches more frequently than ever in my life. I feel privileged that I work from home to mask my missing ambition.”
More than one-third of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that their menopause symptoms were causing them to be less productive at work. For many of you, worries about diminished performance, on top of hormonal fluctuations, are leading to mood changes and anxiety. One reader reported “anxiety at no longer performing at the same level as I did when younger.”
Some of you shared your experiences managing unpredictable, long, or heavy periods. One respondent noted, “Just after turning 40, my periods got crazy. Lots of bleeding accidents at work and not enough tampons to cover. I couldn’t sit through an hour-long meeting… You can’t collaborate in a meeting when you are worried about bleeding onto your chair in front of your coworkers.”
Another pointed out, “As a teacher, it can be difficult. You can’t run to the bathroom if random spotting or a freak period occurs.”
Ideas for improving the workplace for women
Given the degree to which menopause symptoms are affecting women in the workplace, finding solutions is critical. When it comes to how to improve the workplace for perimenopausal women, there are several key ideas and very little data. This is an area that needs more research. Many of your ideas aligned with those from the Menopause Society.
Among Hot Flash survey respondents, access to flexible work settings and schedules was the number one recommendation. Many of you felt that the ability to work from home or to complete work outside of regular work hours would go a long way toward improving your experience.
Another request from survey respondents was more open conversation about perimenopause among coworkers. I have seen first-hand women’s desire to bring this topic to the workplace when I speak to women’s affinity groups about women’s hormonal health. Turnout is often two to three times what is expected at my talks — and I am humble enough to know it’s not me but perimenopause that is the big draw.
The Menopause Society report also covers the importance of discussion about perimenopause in the workplace and the role of women’s affinity groups. If you are involved in a women’s affinity group at your workplace, having a book club or inviting a speaker to discuss perimenopause can be a great way to start the conversation.
Some of the Menopause Society recommendations are even more rudimentary, such as encouraging workplaces to provide regular access to adequate bathroom facilities and period products. Many of you mentioned the frustration and embarrassment of dealing with irregular and heavy periods at work.
I was at my husband’s office recently and was delighted to see the women’s bathrooms stocked with an assortment of pads and tampons neatly displayed and free for taking as needed. It is a practical change that sends a message that women’s needs are recognized and attended to.
Finally, the report notes that in the most severe cases, women may qualify for workplace accommodations and even medical leave under existing employment policies. While that may be true, based on your responses, I worry that women will be reluctant to take advantage of these benefits even in the most severe cases due to concerns about age or gender discrimination until more open conversations about menopause in the workplace occur. Still, this report is a first step.
The bottom line
- Many women experience menopause symptoms in the workplace and think those symptoms impact their productivity and the quality of their work
- Women do not feel like they can talk about their symptoms at work but wish that women shared their experiences more openly.
- While there is little data regarding workplace changes that might improve women’s experience of menopause in the workplace, Hot Flash survey respondents believe that implementing more flexible work policies would go a long way toward improving their experience.
Log in