Menopause can definitely be an awkward topic in the workplace, but it’s a reality all working women will experience.
It needs to be addressed in much the same way as the issue of mental health has been addressed – stigmas and taboos need to be broken to allow those who are experiencing the menopausal transition to be properly supported.
Some women may sail through it, but for others it can be painful, distressing and inconvenient and have a big impact on their working lives.
Our recent survey of finance workers showed more than 75 per cent of respondents chose not to tell their line manager about their menopausal status and many said they were less likely to apply for a promotion and may retire early.
Symptoms experienced include tiredness, headaches, dizziness and pain, through to changeable moods, difficulty concentrating and brain fog.
A Senate Inquiry into issues related to menopause and perimenopause is currently underway and the FSU recently spoke at a public hearing to share your insights and experiences about the impact menopause and menstruation has on finance workers.
FSU National Secretary Julia Angrisano called on the government to introduce a public education program to increase the understanding of menopause symptoms and the impact they have on those who are experiencing them, along with their workmates, managers, friends and family.
“Public education at all levels, whether it’s through the health system and, in particular from our perspective, through the workplace, starts to shift the stigma and starts to normalise this issue,” she said.
“When our members say to us, ‘If I had a more supportive manager or if my manager was a woman, I’d be more likely to talk about my symptoms of menopause and the kind of support that I need at work,’ we think that’s one way of thinking about the benefits of a national education campaign.”
But we believe education also needs to be supported by workplace flexibility and paid leave.
“Flexible work for workers experiencing menopause symptoms will help them balance their health needs with the requirements of their jobs so we recommend the federal government amend section 65 of the Fair Work Act to include the right of a worker who is suffering from perimenopausal or menopausal symptoms to apply for flexible work.”
Last year, the FSU conducted research on the impact menopause is having on finance workers.
“The discussion of menopause remains taboo, and the inability to discuss the impacts and symptoms can affect a person’s self-confidence and their ability to work productively,” Julia explained.
“It’s vital that we increase awareness of the impact that menopause can have or is having on individual workers. The symptoms of menopause are not well known, and the culture of silence means that the impact of menopause on workers is hidden.”
The research showed that for the small number of members who felt safe to disclose their menopausal status, they did so because they had a supportive manager or their manager was a woman.
“The finance industry is highly gender segregated, and almost 60 per cent of all manager roles are filled by men. Menopause often hits workers at a point in their careers when they are in the pipeline for senior roles, and, instead of progressing, they hold themselves back due to their experience of menopausal symptoms. With the right support, we know that these women can stay and progress their careers.”
The survey found that experiencing menopausal symptoms was a reason for not pursuing promotional opportunities for more than half of menopausal workers and 35 per cent of workers experiencing menopause identified it as a factor in early retirement
“We also heard from workers who, sadly, had already left the workplace, explaining that menopausal symptoms, including severe migraines, were just incompatible with the pressures of their job. These workers felt as if they had little choice when faced with the combination of a lack of understanding, stigma and taboo associated with the discussions of menopause in their workplace.
“Stigma and taboos need to be broken to allow those who are experiencing the menopausal transition to be better supported.”
The FSU first kicked off our campaign in 2021 to advocate for women suffering from the symptoms of menopause to be better supported at work, and we’ve led the way by developing a framework that seeks to address the impact this has on workers, their colleagues and employers.
“It’s well past time that the finance industry considers the impact menopause can have on workers, and it’s for this reason that we started our campaign for the introduction of a framework to support working women.”
Insight gained from the FSU survey, along with our submission to the inquiry, will form the basis of our menopause and menstruation support framework which will be launched later this year.
The framework aims to provide information to workers and employers about the value in providing support to workers who are struggling to balance the symptoms of menopause and menstruation with work, including the need for paid leave.
Read our full submission to the inquiry here.
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