Menopause is no longer just a concern of every woman as she ages; it’s also a concern of every workplace. Each year, the US loses an estimated $1.8 billion in missed work days due to menopause symptoms among women ages 45 to 60, according to a study by the Mayo Clinic. Identifying this “major negative impact,” the researchers are calling for improved medical treatment for women experiencing menopause, and for employers to make the “workplace environment more supportive.” The question is how.
Not all women welcome the idea of employer menopause support
Not all women welcome the idea of workplace menopause support, and some are even leery of it. For instance, some women are concerned that the call for menopause-friendly workplaces will only serve to fuel more ageism and sexism at work.
“The last thing we need is some other reason for workplace discrimination against women,” wrote one in the comments section of a New York Times article on the subject. “Exactly,” responded another. “I cannot think of a single place I have worked where it wouldn’t be professionally compromising to avail oneself of such services.” Yet another commented, “This is just giving them more ammunition to discriminate, and there is precious little legal protection against age discrimination as it is.”
But working women attest to their menopause challenges
But many working women need more support during menopause. In Calm’s survey of 4,000+ adults in the US, UK, Germany, and India, women experiencing menopause (360+ respondents) said it was affecting their:
- Sleep (52%),
- Mental health (48%),
- Ability to focus on work (33%),
- Ability to perform tasks efficiently (28%), and/or
- Relationships with co-workers (20%).
Indeed, other studies have shown that severe menopause symptoms are associated not just with missed work days, but with higher levels of lost work productivity (presenteeism) and greater numbers of outpatient medical visits. Combined, lost productivity and excess healthcare spending associated with menopause are estimated to cost the US at least $26 billion each year.
At the same time, only 25% of respondents to Calm’s survey said their workplace is supportive when it comes to menopause.
What is menopause and what are the symptoms?
The very nature of menopause can make it difficult for employers to know how to support women experiencing it. Perimenopause—the transitional period to menopause when hormone production declines—typically begins when a woman reaches her mid-40s but can start as early as her mid-30s or as late as her mid-50s. It ends a year after a woman’s last menstrual cycle but can last anywhere from a few months to a decade or more. Some women struggle with severe symptoms of perimenopause while others only experience mild or moderate symptoms.
Hot flashes are the most commonly reported symptom, but there are at least 33 other known symptoms of perimenopause, including night sweats, anxiety, insomnia, brain fog, short-term memory problems, and irritability or other mood changes, demonstrating that perimenopause affects the brain and nervous system, not just the reproductive system.
Despite the wide range of symptoms and potentially significant impact of menopause on physical, mental and emotional health and well-being, education and awareness about this life stage has been limited. As a result, it can be challenging for women to recognize their symptoms as perimenopause and not another physical or mental health concern, which may create its own stress and anxiety.
Similarly, the broad scope and limited understanding of menopause—in addition to women’s concerns about fueling ageism and sexism at work—can make it challenging for employers to know how to support women experiencing it.
New workplace menopause guidelines released
To help, The Menopause Society has launched “Menopause and the Workplace: Consensus Recommendations,” a set of guidelines for employers developed by a panel of experts, including healthcare professionals, researchers, labor attorneys, and patient advocates. The recommendations are part of The Menopause Society’s broader “Making Menopause Work™” initiative to guide employers to better support employees going through this life change as well as recognize organizations “that demonstrate best practices in caring for this growing population within their workforces.”
The Menopause Society’s Consensus Recommendations include:
- Evaluating existing workplace policies and benefits to determine if they can be explicitly applied to support women going through menopause. For example, existing leave-of-absence policies may already apply to women who may need leave as a result of menopause symptoms. If so, employers should make that clear to HR departments, managers, and employees by calling out this use case in internal communications and helping women know how to use the policy or benefit when needed.
- Ensuring that their health and benefits plans provide coverage for menopause (e.g., for therapies, counseling, access to nutritionists, coaches and healthcare professionals with menopause expertise), and educating employees about their coverage.
- Consider implementing a flexible dress-code policy, access to cold water or cooling areas, and flexible work hours or remote options, where possible.
- Training managers and supervisors to help create a more inclusive workplace culture in which women feel comfortable talking about menopause and its effect on them at work. (Calm’s survey found that menopause was the personal life issue least likely to be talked about at work, compared to fertility treatments, miscarriage, death of a loved one, or illness).
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy shown to improve menopause symptoms and work outcomes
The Menopause Society also cited a study that showed the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to improve work outcomes and menopause symptoms at work.
“This study, using self-guided cognitive behavioral therapy. . .found significant improvements in work functioning, vasomotor symptoms (VMS), and sleep compared with a waitlist control.” Indeed, the study showed that self-help CBT significantly improved:
- Hot flashes and night sweats, somatic symptoms, and sleep problems.
- Presenteeism, i.e., being physically present at their jobs but experiencing decreased productivity and below-normal work quality due to their menopause.
- Work and social functioning at home, work, and other social situations.
- Well-being, including women having better awareness, taking better personal care, and improved confidence to talk about menopause.
CBT is a structured, goal-oriented type of psychotherapy used by mental health providers to manage or treat mental health conditions and emotional concerns. Before adding CBT to its list of employer recommendations, The Menopause Society is calling for additional studies to determine the most effective strategies for mitigating the impact of menopause symptoms on the workplace. But CBT is an effective menopause support strategy that women can use on their own terms, without concern that doing so could fuel ageism or sexism in the workplace.
Calm Health program uses CBT-based principles to support women in menopause
Thriving Through the Menopause Transition is a Calm Health program developed by psychologist Dr. Juli Fraga to reveal the science of what perimenopause/menopause is and its effects on the body and mind. Most important, using principles based on CBT, the program gives women the tools to support the changes and challenges that come with the transition.
The program includes the following sessions:
- Let’s Talk About Menopause
- Understanding Menopause & Mental Well-Being
- Beat the Blues with Gratitude
- Exercise Your Way Through Brain Fog
- Relaxing Breath for Sleep
- Dial Down Anxiety with the Five Senses
- Where Did My Libido Go? How To Talk About Sex
- Defuse Irritability with a Body Scan
- Befriend Your Body with Self-Compassion
- How to Handle Health Fears vs Facts
- Accepting and Embracing This New Chapter
Calm Health is a secure mental wellness app that offers personalized plans with content written by psychologists with subject matter expertise. Calm Health offers personalized plans with evidence-based content to support employees with their mental health, physical health conditions, and life experiences. The average rating of Calm Health programs is 4 of 5, demonstrating that individuals are benefitting from the content.
It’s time to support the fastest growing demographic
Women ages 50 and older are the fastest growing demographic in many countries, and empowering them to work at their full potential is critical to raising productivity and economic output globally.
Although menopause has been a taboo topic in the workplace, its symptoms can have a profound impact on working women and their work productivity. It’s time for employers to evaluate interventions that can affect work outcomes such as productivity, work satisfaction, and career development without legal ramifications. Cognitive behavioral therapy is a solution that’s been shown to make a positive impact on menopause symptoms at work and work outcomes, and it can be implemented without changing policies or risking heightened ageism or sexism in the workplace.
For more information on proactively supporting employee mental health and well-being, check out our pricing or connect with a Calm specialist today.
