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Menopause support for employees

We, females, are always good at multitasking and we tend to carry on no matter what we are going through. When it comes to our health, we actually forget about what we ourselves might be going through.This is not ideal. My biggest learning from my menopausal experience is that suffering in silence is not the way forward.

Many of us have strong work ethics, being loyal and fully committed to our employer. However, some of us may end up leaving employment due to our menopausal symptoms and not managing to cope with these symptoms at work. This is because no support or the right support is not available from many employers. This means that  employees lose out, and employers: they lose a loyal employee.

Remember menopause is not an illness. It is the time where women go through changes mentally and physically because of the hormone imbalances in our bodies. Some may experience few symptoms, whereas others may go through a very testing time. Symptoms creep up very slowly without realisation and many women do not understand what is happening to them.

What was my experience at work?

I was a professional, loyal and committed employee and I absolutely loved my job in recruitment. Menopausal symptoms crept up slowly on me, however I did not know what was happening. I tried carrying on in my work life for a good few years. I saw women around me having hot flushes but no one spoke about the other symptoms. Everyone seemed to cope. I suffered in silence, thinking if they are coping why am I struggling so much. I did not talk or approach anyone at work and resigned from my workplace abruptly after 23 years with the organisation. It is now that I understand what I should have done – Spoken up for help!
 

What should you do?

As an employee you have the responsibility for your own wellbeing and others around you. You have a duty to:

  • Take reasonable care of your own health and safety
  • Take reasonable care not to put other people – colleagues and members of the public – at risk by what you do or don’t do in the course of your work
  • Inform your employer if something happens that might affect your ability to work.

Your employer has a legal responsibility for your health, safety and welfare. Your employer may need to change the way you carry out your duties, if your ability to work is affected and you suffer as a result of doing your job without adjustments.

Remember just carrying on and not informing your managers or supervisors is not the answer, talking is. Inform them of any difficulties you are having and you can work together to find a solution which works for you.
 
If you are interested in finding out how M for Menopause can support your organisation please use our Get In Touch page or email info@mformenopause.co.uk.