Time to shatter the taboo and start talking more openly and honestly about menopause - Alison Weatherhead

It’s hard to believe that in 2021, menopause and perimenopause is a topic still shrouded in mystery and taboo, especially in the workplace. But why? Menopause is a perfectly natural phase of every woman’s life.

Alison Weatherhead is a Partner at Dentons

So, to mark World Menopause Awareness Month this October, I want to kickstart the discussion around menopause and share what I believe employers can do to ensure the women of their workplace feel supported during this time. I have first-hand experience of how difficult this whole period can be – working out what is going on in the first case and then dealing with the effects of it, which vary and fluctuate through over time, just to make it even more challenging.

Menopause typically occurs between the ages of 45 to 55, when a woman’s oestrogen levels begin to decline. For many women, it can take time to understand exactly what is happening to them, from the brain fog to the hot flushes. Unfortunately, the experience of so many women when it comes to menopause is that a long and weary road lies ahead, one which can see their resilience, confidence and capabilities wither just as they are stepping into more senior and challenging roles in the workplace.

What’s clear is that there is no one size fits all approach to dealing with menopause. Its challenges are physical, emotional and in some cases, can have a very real and genuine impact on a person’s mental health and wellbeing.

With almost a million women in the UK having left their jobs because of menopausal symptoms, what can employers do to help?

Let’s be clear - it is not for employers to start diagnosing women with menopause. But there is a place for employers to ensure that their female staff have access to the information and support they need.

This support could start with mentoring and coaching in the workplace. Having access to someone who is there to listen and provide support could easily bridge the gap between a woman who is feeling alone and at a loss, to one who is feeling comfortable and supported as they navigate their new normal.

Flexibility is crucial. Many women experience physical symptoms of menopause, such as the very common and often dreaded hot flushes, wakefulness at 4am and brain fog. And this isn’t just a physical challenge which can cause feelings of embarrassment. It is a mental one too as it can impact confidence in the workplace. Giving women access to flexible working can reduce feelings of stress and anxiety, helping to put minds at ease.

Normalising conversation about life's changes as part of working life can only be a good step. This means educating the workforce, raising awareness of menopause, coaching management on how best to discuss it with their female employees and making people more aware of signs and symptoms. Better yet, employers should seriously consider implementing a fair policy that gives women access to fairer rights during this time.

In the UK, pregnant women, mothers and parents have rights in place to protect them (as they should). But for menopausal women, there is nothing. And there should be because discrimination against menopausal women is a very real issue. Extending the duty to make reasonable adjustments to all women who are perimenopausal and menopausal would be a welcome step forward. As would putting in bespoke protection for women whose normal day-to-day lives are quite simply turned upside down by something they have no control over. Parenthood was a choice for me – the menopause is not.

Looking back at my own experience, I realise now that what I needed was support, access to information and role models to give me hope that there was light at the end of the tunnel. That I had not lost myself forever. A turning point came when I spoke up about what I was going through, which prompted others to do the same. The result was common ground and support in a shared experience. But this only happened to me by chance. It’s time to shatter the taboo and start talking more openly and honestly about menopause - both inside and outside the workplace.

Alison Weatherhead is a Partner at Dentons