Menopause is costing Women Twice: At Work and At Home

In 2027, 39 million women will go through menopause AT WORK. Aware of their symptoms, around 70% will say that they are struggling. Around 12% of these will say that their manager has some training to help them. This is the workforce. Women over 50 are the fastest growing sector in the workplace and with the end of the retirement era, more women will go through Menopause in their working lives than ever before.

Menopause and work productivity: The Paid and Unpaid cost

The Paid - This is the one that counts.

When asked if they work? Women will understand this question and reply in terms of paid work; full time (100%); or part time (80%, 60%, 50%). What they are really referring to is the hours that they have accounted for in terms of paid work to an employer or their own business. These are the hours devoted to and set aside for another - business or person. The projects, tickets, clients, hours and minutes checked in and rewarded financially.

The Unpaid - at home - This is the invisible one that no one counts:

For many women, the workload does not stop once the computer is switched off or the key in the door is turned. It just shifts. Here we are referring to the cognitive load of planning, household, other family members and logistics. Women naturally take on the mental load at ANY life stage but never more than in the Menopause chapter. And with an aging population, she will no doubt be faced with:

• caring for a parent/parents

• communicating with a teenager

• organising other people's children

• preparing, packing, tiding,

• driving

• mentally prioritising what comes next

The Cost of Menopause in the workplace

In the workplace, in terms of lost work time, in the US alone, time, 1.8 BILLION US dollars and 24 Billion in healthcare costs are attributed to Menopause symptoms:

Sick days attributed to:

• loss of sleep

• brain fog

• cortisol up

• joint aches, frozen shoulder, elbow tendinitis, back, neck, knee, hip issues

• migraines

• depression,

• mental illness

  
  

1 in 10 women has already left her job due to one or more menopause symptoms; 14% are on reduced hours and 20% have considered quitting. That is a lot of lost working hours and expensive to replace.

The Cost of Menopause at home

Menopause doesn't just cost the workplace. It costs the unpaid work that holds the family and the household together. Fatigue. The menopausal woman is tired at home as well as tired at work.

• the shorter fuse

• loss of tolerance

• impact on partner and relationships

• less energy for social connection

• less exercise

• weight gain

• interrupted sleep

The overtime of over giving eventually comes with a cost.

83% of women in Menopause say they are exhausted. Not lazy, or unfit. Just exhausted.

What to do? For the Menopausal woman at work

1. Name your symptoms and their impact in simple, medical terms: "Due to perimenopausal insomnia I am experiencing brain fog," and come with 2 weeks of tracked sleep data.

2. Ask for something specific: "Could you consider some flexible hours two days a week." Or: "An office with better temperature control would help me stay focused for longer." "A little more recovery time, for example starting later on a Thursday would give me more energy later in the day." Come with the data; the energy scores out of 10, a solution, not just the problem.

What to do? For the Menopausal woman at home

1. Name your capacity. "After my day at work today, I have only 30% left for this evening. Could you please..." . This immediately gives the partner/ child/ flatmate scope to adjust.

2. Delegate. "Tuesdays and Fridays are your days to organise meal/kids pick ups and shopping."

3. If you are the partner, rather than asking "Is there anything I can do to help?" (which automatically shifts the responsibility back onto the woman) say, "I have put out the bins, and overseen the homework. Here is a tea...". It might not be quite what she expected but it is better than her having to think - again!

If you are an executive in a company and want to reduce your female employee's sick days or their resignation numbers, then why not schedule a call to find out about the Corporate MenoFit Wellness programmes here:

Corporate MenoFit Programmes

OR, if you are an employee wondering how you can better communicate your midlife wellness struggles to your boss, then you can schedule a call to initiate your own personal MenoFit Plan here:

Your personal MenoFit Plan

Over the last 20 years I have trained and spoken with women on the gym floor and in studio classes. That is about 760 weeks with 20 hours teaching a week. So over 15,000 hours of listening. I have heard and understood where women struggle and why they disappear, either from their job, or from their partner. My thoughts are personal. And yes, I use intelligence, but the message is the same. It doesn't have to be this way. With small shifts in expectation, confidence, clarity and effective coaching, women can look forward to a brighter, more energising work and home existence.

References:

Mondaq.com/ac

https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinic-study-puts-price-tag-on-cost-of-menopause-symptoms-for-women-in-the-workplace/

The Wellbeing Advantage: Dr Janine van Someren