INTHEBLACK October 2021 - Magazine - Page 40
F E AT U R E
// M E N O PA U S E I N T H E W O R K P L A C E
Above: Thea O’Connor
“I’ve interviewed about
50 women about their
experience with menopause,
and the standout themes are
around secrecy and isolation,
and feeling like they had to hide
the experience of going
through menopause at work...
There has been a stigma or
an unconscious bias that
you aren’t at your career
peak anymore.”
THEA O’CONNOR, WELLBEING SPECIALIST
40 ITB October 2021
NO MORE SECRETS
Menopause is not a medical condition or an illness.
It is a normal stage of life for half of the world’s
population that occurs at the end of their natural
reproductive years.
The average age of menopause onset is 51, but it can
occur earlier and, for some women, may be induced by
medical treatments such as surgery or chemotherapy.
Most women will experience menopausal symptoms
due to hormonal changes. This may include hot
flushes, night sweats, headaches, anxiety, depression,
lowered self-esteem, loss of confidence and difficulty
concentrating.
The severity and duration of menopausal symptoms
vary, and they may begin during a transition phase
called perimenopause. About 60 per cent of women
will have mild symptoms for about four to eight years,
while 20 per cent will have no symptoms at all. For
another 20 per cent, symptoms may be severe and
continue into their 60s or later.
Menopause carries an air of secrecy that has been
almost universal, especially in the workplace, in part
because its signs and symptoms differ among women.
Thea O’Connor, wellbeing specialist and creator
of the Menopause@Work training program, says
the taboo surrounding menopause can exacerbate its
frequently challenging symptoms.
“I’ve interviewed about 50 women about their
experience with menopause, and the standout themes
are around secrecy and isolation, and feeling like
they had to hide the experience of going through
menopause at work,” O’Connor says.
A fear of discrimination causes many to avoid
discussing menopause at work.
“There has been a stigma or an unconscious bias
that you aren’t at your career peak anymore.”
A BUSINESS CASE FOR CHANGE
Professor Gavin Jack, associate dean research impact and
professor of management at Monash University, is part
of the core research team behind Women, Work and the
Menopause, a program of academic study to explore the
experiences of menopause for professional women.
He says that conversations about the ageing
workforce have tended to overlook how ageing is
experienced differently across genders, but that labour
market dynamics will force a change.
“There have been calls to pay better attention to
the fact that more women are joining or active in the
labour market and delivering valuable contributions,”
he says. “How can the government and organisations
support them to contribute for longer?”
O’Connor says the demographic argument is
supported by a business case for making menopause
a workplace issue.