Understanding menopause: It’s time to change the narrative

More than a billion people are expected to be experiencing menopause globally by 2025. What can your organisation do to retain the experience and expertise of these women?

How are midlife and older women viewed in the workplace? How can we enable women to thrive at work at any age? Rachel Lankester, founder of Magnificent Midlife – an online support hub for women over 40 – explains the potential organisational benefits of supporting those living with life changes in the workplace.

The conversation around how employers can play a role in improving well-being in the workplace is growing, from discussions about maternity rights and menstrual leave to how people can be supported as they manage life changes such as menopause.

Menopause is increasingly relevant when it comes to business. We are all working for longer and retiring later, and today’s female workers are the first generation to remain in the workplace for as long as their male peers. In addition, it’s estimated that there could be more than a billion women experiencing menopause in the world by 2025 (12% of the world’s population) with many still actively working.

Organisations benefit from retaining the experience and expertise of these women, and their invaluable contribution as role models for less experienced women and, indeed, men. Yet research by the Fawcett Society, a leading membership charity in the UK that campaigns for gender equality and women’s rights at work, found that one in 10 women in the UK quit their job because of menopause symptoms, and a quarter of those with serious symptoms leave work altogether. Even if numbers vary around the world, this could account for millions of women globally. 

Lankester believes that there are enormous opportunities for organisations related to menopause, if they can support their employees through this phase of their lives.

“Think of all the wisdom and experience these women have. Women bring a different perspective to business decisions. Let’s not forget, we’re 50% of the population. How can you possibly make business decisions without including women – of all ages?” she questions.

Lankester is just one of many experts with whom the British Standards Institution (BSI) is working to shape thinking, as it seeks to create the environment to develop solutions that address important issues like this. Having gone through menopause early, aged 41, for her it’s personal, and she’s keen to dispel the potential negativity and fear around menopause, both for women and for organisations.

“As I went through menopause, I started to discover new narratives. Menopause didn’t mean I was any less of a woman than I’d been before. I see it as a very powerful transition to an exciting new stage of life. It’s not the beginning of the end, and rather than seeing it as a list of lots of symptoms with medication needed to fix it, we need to appreciate it as a natural transition,” she explains.

Lankester believes people don’t just leave their workplaces because of their symptoms. Gendered ageism also plays a part: “Women want to live life differently post-menopause. You want to have more say in your life. You want to live life on your own terms.”

For organisations, she points out, losing that experience can be costly, and not just in terms of having to train other people into those roles: “We all know that companies with higher diversity do better, and people forget that age is a criterion for diversity as much as any other.”

So, when it comes to offering guidance to organisations on this issue, it’s age Lankester points to first: “Do you think about older people as being valuable, or do you dismiss them? Do you talk about them as ‘coasting to retirement’? Do you think that only the young people in the organisation will have the drive and the energy to push forward change? If you have that kind of mentality as an organisation, nobody older is going to thrive there, and women especially are going to struggle,” she emphasises.

Men also need to be included in these conversations; she believes: “There are a lot of men who do not know what it means for women to be going through menopause. That can lead to misunderstandings, misplaced jokes, and even colleagues feeling threatened. Everyone needs information so they can both be supportive and feel supported.”

She worries that organisations could fall back on stereotypes or over-medicalise something that is a completely natural process. Instead, she believes a broader and more rounded approach is needed, rather than a one-size-fits-all attitude. 

“Some women will struggle, and some won’t. When considering how best to help, the first thing to do is ask what people want and not just give them what you think they want. In asking, the responses could range anywhere from simply wanting an information session on menopause, through to a full-blown menopause policy, via conversations about menopause mentoring, flexible working, or, at its most basic, managing the office thermostat differently,” says Lankester.

“Engaging with the effects of menopause on women in work is about opening up dialogue and doing it at the pace at which the people in your workplace want to do it. I’m not a fan of enforcing things,” she adds.

While every workplace and its national and cultural contexts are different, Lankester believes having initial guidance and global standards on good practice will be a significant asset for organisations. “Many companies don’t know what to do but having a menopause policy is as sensible as having a pregnancy policy,” she points out.

For help with creating a workplace environment that’s suitable for everyone, BSI is publishing the first British Standard on menstrual and menopausal health: BS 30416, Menstruation, menstrual health and menopause in the workplace – Guide.

“It’s just about thinking these things through in advance and having procedures in place that will enable women to work well through menopause,” Lankester says. “It’s not a situation where they should need to struggle. Actually, they should be able to perform as well as, if not better than, they ever have.”

How can prioritising people make your organisation more resilient?

Starting to think about career lifecycles in a rounded way is essential for the future of any organisation. Ensuring that the physical, mental, and cognitive needs and expectations of employees in relation to their work are met in an inclusive way can help create a culture of trust and improve workplace well-being. Prioritising people in this way creates a more resilient and innovative organisation that is able to attract and retain the best talent – now and in the future.