October 18th is World Menopause Day. Still Human’s Managing Director, Julie Liddell, explains why it’s a date that should be acknowledged on school calendars, the positive impact that opening discussions about menopause can have on the wellbeing and retention of staff and why it isn’t just a woman's issue...
Why should we be talking about menopause with staff?
It was a great water-shed moment when in 2020, menopause was added to the sex education curriculum delivered in secondary schools. However, whilst future generations will benefit from this, many women of menopausal age are still unaware of what to expect during this time. In ‘The Invisibility Report’ conducted in 2020 by Generation Menopause, 1 in 2 women admitted they didn’t know what was happening to them, 2 in 3 women reported being blindsided and 49% couldn’t name any symptoms of menopause. There is clearly a huge education and awareness piece still to be undertaken with staff.
How will talking about menopause improve retention?
10% of women leave the workforce due to symptoms of menopause, countless others go part-time or step-down step down from senior roles. If we are to retain talented women in our schools and colleges, we must do better at raising awareness and providing support during menopause.
Why is menopause a whole staff issue?
Education has a female-dominated workforce. An estimated 75% of staff in education are female, in primary education, that figure is 98%! Promoting an awareness of menopause amongst staff not only benefits females but can also benefit all staff in their capacity as managers, colleagues and friends to understand and support. Reducing stigma and opening up conversations around menopause in the workplace can also encourage more women to seek help.
What age group does menopause effect?
It is estimated that there are currently 15.5 million women in the UK of menopausal age. This is because menopause actually refers to three stages – perimenopause, when hormones begin to fluctuate and symptoms may appear (average age 45); menopause, the time when a women has not had a monthly cycle for 12 months (average aged 51) and post-menopause, the time after menopause when symptoms for most women (but not all) will decline.
If the average female life expectancy is 83 years in the UK – then the ‘average’ woman will spend about half of her life in the stage we call ‘menopause’, equating to around 50% of her working life!
1 in 20 women will go through an early menopause before the age of 45 and 1 in 100 before 40. Given that perimenopause symptoms can start up to 10 years before menopause – this means that women in their 30’s or younger can be experiencing symptoms and women of any age can experience a surgical or clinical menopause.
What are the symptoms of menopause?
There are more than 48 different physical and psychological symptoms associated with menopause. Ranging from changes in periods, hot flushes and migraines to anxiety, low mood and insomnia. These can vary in severity and duration and can change throughout the course of menopause. The Government’s Report on Menopause and the Effects of Women’s Economic Participation suggest that 3 in 4 women experience symptoms with 1 in 4 experiencing significant symptoms.
The differences in the type, severity and onset of symptoms for different ethnic groups can also be an issue.
Because of this lack of awareness and understanding however, many women dismiss their symptoms, or they are misdiagnosed. Understanding stages and symptoms of menopause is vital if women are to navigate this transition and be empowered to look after their physical and mental health and seek appropriate support.
What can we do to support women in the workplace?
Firstly, open up the menopause conversation and engage in some Menopause Awareness training for all staff, allowing for the creation of a more inclusive menopause friendly workplace.
Adopting a menopause policy prevents discrimination as well as signalling to employees that they are supported. Allowing for reasonable adjustments such as regular toilet breaks and good ventilation can also have significant personal benefits for women, as well as enhancing engagement.
We must also make this conversation inclusive and recognise that ethnicity, disability and being part of the LGBT+ community plays a role and can lead to additional barriers and make it difficult to access appropriate support.
If we really want to support and retain valued, experienced and talented women in education it is vital that we bring the menopause conversation to education.
Take the first step in introducing the conversation of menopause in your school, college or educational setting to help improve staff knowledge, wellbeing and retention. Contact the Still Human team to discuss how we can help here.
