Here’s a shout-out to CBC Radio morning hosts in Quebec City, London, Kitchener-Waterloo, Windsor, Calgary, Whitehorse, Kelowna, Prince Rupert/Prince George, Vancouver, Victoria, and other cities across Canada who interviewed me about menopause in the workplace.

Menopause affects all women—who make up a little over 50% of the population—but it’s been shrouded in secrecy.

Menopause is still taboo and many feel embarrassed and ashamed talking about it.

Talking about, demystifying, destigmatizing, and normalizing menopause is good for society as a whole and especially for those directly affected by it:  ALL women.

Menopause is still taboo and many feel embarrassed and ashamed talking about it.

You can listen to my conversation on Daybreak South (Kelowna) with host Chris Walker on (May 31st, 2023, min 36:45 ) here.

You can also read this excerpt:

Radio host: What demographics are we talking about, how many women are working through menopause?

Teresa Isabel: According to a report by the Menopause Foundation of Canada, women make up almost 50% of the workforce and there are over 5 million working women over the age of 40, and there are more than two million working women between the ages of 45 to 55, the age most reach menopause at.

Radio host: What are the most common symptoms that affect women at work?

Teresa Isabel: There’s a list of about 30 symptoms of menopause but in a survey of working women done in the UK a few years ago the five top symptoms at work were fatigue, which affected more than 40% of women, hot flashes, focus and concentration problems, anxiety and worry, and insomnia. These symptoms are very common and affected over 30% of women surveyed.

Radio host: How much awareness/understanding do employers have?

Teresa Isabel: Well employers are not understanding because most are not aware of the menopause, yet. Thank you for doing a show about menopause in the workplace because this is where we need to start. We need to raise awareness that half of the population will go through menopause and 20% of women who go through menopause experience severe symptoms that affect their quality of life and their quality of work. These women need and would like to receive support in the workplace.

It’s important for employers to understand that menopause exists. Menopause has been shrouded in secrecy and it’s been a big taboo; no one talks about it; there’s no intergenerational sharing and women don’t know what they are experiencing during the hormonal changes of midlife.

• One place for employers to start is by providing awareness and education in the workplace to reduce stigma and to normalize menopause. That can be done by offering Lunch & Learns or Health & Wellness sessions on menopause for employees and managers.
• It’s also good to create network groups within the organization that provide safe spaces for women to share their experiences and to facilitate the much-needed intergenerational sharing.
• Offering robust benefit plans.
• Creating best practices, guidance, or policies that are inclusive of the needs of employees going through the menopause transition. Each woman will go through her own individualized menopause so one-size-fits-all is not a good approach. But having policies that are inclusive of the needs of each woman is good.
• Also helpful is offering support with reasonable adjustments. Many reasonable adjustments that don’t cost a lot can be helpful and go a long way in helping women with symptoms to work in their own terms, such as:
  • allowing flexible work. For example, suitable shifts. Some women wake up very early and they would like to start working earlier and leave work earlier. Others may like an extended lunch hour to have a nap and recharge.
  • good temperature and ventilation control
  • clean and easy access to washrooms
  • having uniforms made of natural, breathable fibres and being able to dress in layers

Radio show: What can employers do so women don’t feel singled out when they speak about menopause?

Teresa Isabel: That’s a very good point. Women may not speak up because of fear of being singled out or discriminated against. However, if we talk about menopause and create a menopause-friendly workplace, if it is part of the work culture, then women are more likely to feel comfortable talking about it.  Because the reality is that most women would like to be able to have a conversation with their managers about what they’re going through and what they need when they experience symptoms at work. If managers knew about menopause and the potential impact on a women’s life it would be safer for women to come forth and talk about it and ask for support.

If organizations were a menopause-friendly place that would be helpful for employers as well.

It helps when there’s a “menopause champion” at work. An employee who is willing to talk about menopause and help women find support; it’s a great step towards creating a menopause-friendly workplace. The higher this menopause champion is in the organization’s ranks the better because when senior leadership demonstrates that menopause is important and that it should be normalized and taken seriously that gives anyone permission to talk about it.

If you would like to offer a menopause session in your workplace contact the author, Teresa Isabel Dias, pharmacist and North American  Menopause Society Certified Menopause Practitioner (NCMP)  https://menopaused.org