You could be forgiven for thinking that we talk about menopause enough nowadays.
Every day in 2022, my Google alerts told me there was another article in the press or a new piece of 'research.'.
On reading these pieces of information, it was clear to me just how much information has been rehashed over the last few years and how little originality there is in the work being presented.
Stronger together
This year, Women of a Certain Stage are collaborating with two universities to look at effective help and support through menopause. We are seeking confirmation and clarity—or otherwise—over what I have witnessed working across thousands of women who have employed natural, medical, and combined approaches to their menopause.
If you have been following the myriad of information on menopause in the media, you may have seen multiple Parliamentary reports and celebrity documentaries that risk leaving you feeling that menopause as a subject has been done.
And dusted.
If it's acceptable for someone with a large following to openly discuss their menopause and warts, is it also acceptable for your colleague to do the same? For our transgender, non-binary, and gender-questioning colleagues sitting beside us, also to feel safe to speak out or seek support for their symptoms?
Sadly not.
Menopause has always been hidden and taboo.
I believe most of us welcome the new willingness to chat about all things menopause. Yet, I still encounter people shying away from the topic and actively telling me or their employer menopause should not be discussed at work.
Removing the stigma around menopause for a whole generation is hard: over 86% don’t know what menopause truly is or how it may impact them.
Often, it's only when symptoms like brain fog, hot flushes, and anxiety become overwhelming and start to interfere with daily life that things start to make sense.
We know that getting a doctor to confirm we are perimenopausal or menopausal can take four years or more. Consequently, employers have an increase in long-term sick leave, and around 14% of people simply quitting their jobs.
I know.
I left my job believing I had early onset dementia in my early 40s. I left my job rather than being seen as weak or vulnerable.
Such a loss can be devastating for both employee and employer.
With estimates that it can cost over 200% of an executive’s salary* to replace them, never mind the lost skills, knowledge, and experience. The toll of losing members of staff goes further, adding stress and increased workloads to colleagues left behind.
Menopause awareness sessions, single-gender sessions, line manager training, and policies or guidance documents are all great steps to help remove menopause as a block in a person’s career.
More needs to be done.
Over the past eight years, WomenofaCertainStage.com has evolved.
We have invested in training and research and have presented our findings to organisations and individuals globally to help them understand menopause and access effective help and support.
You can read more about why I committed to normalising menopause here.
It is vital that everyone has access to accurate information on menopause. If you are ready to build or consolidate your knowledge on menopause, I invite you to register for the FREE ‘Menopause: The Basics’ course HERE.
It is delivered every two months, live via ZOOM, typically from 1230-1300, with a 15 min Q&A after.
Over 16,000 people registered in 2022 and found it to be a great way to begin learning about menopause.
If you are interested in taking your menopause support to the next level, check out
I was so excited to watch our graduates help so many other people this year.
We are most definitely stronger together, changemakers!
Click HERE if you’d like to explore best practices and your own next steps to normalise menopause at work and to choose a time to chat.
Your speaker & trainer,
Lauren
*Source: Centric HR
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