Our senior surveyor Kimberley Meadows and HR manager Ashleigh O’Callaghan recently attended Menopause Awareness training for the workplace.
This training was to raise awareness of a natural stage of life, which affects women, trans, nonbinary and intersex people, but which is often misunderstood, ignored or not discussed in the work environment.
What is the menopause?
Part of the process of aging, the menopause occurs when ovaries completely stop producing reproductive hormones, and there are no monthly periods for a consecutive twelve months.
There are 3 stages to the menopause:
- Peri-menopause – Periods will become irregular, but they haven’t stopped.
- Menopause – There will be a final period, with no more following a full year.
- Post-menopause – After a full year from the final period, people will then be referred to as post-menopausal.
What are the symptoms and effects?
Three out of four people experience symptoms: one in four can experience severe symptoms, which impact on their day-to-day life. Treatments are available (e.g. HRT – Hormone Replacement Therapy), but this doesn’t always work for everyone.
Symptoms vary hugely between individuals, and for most people menopause can last between 4 and 10 years.
These can include:
- Headaches/ Migraines
- Joint stiffness
- Dry mouth
- Palpitations
- Dry skin
- Weight gain
- Difficulty concentrating
- Muscle aches
- Loss of libido
- Mood swings
- Dry eyes
- Heavy periods
- Urinary problems
- Vaginal dryness/itching/discomfort
- Hot flushes
- Night sweats
- Changes in sleep patterns/Insomnia
- Memory loss
- Fatigue
- Brain fog
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Panic attacks
- Loss of confidence
Around one in 100 people that experience the menopause will go through it before age of 45 (known as ‘early menopause’). Some people experience premature menopause when still in their teens, 20s, 30s, or early 40s. This is known as Premature Ovarian Insufficiency (POI). For some, this could be as a result of medical assistance for various ailments, such as through surgery, radiation therapy or chemotherapy.
Why is it important to raise awareness?
Some people are unwilling to discuss menopausal difficulties with their line manager. Increasing awareness of what the menopause is, and the impact it can have on work-life, is key to educating the whole organisation, in order to best support colleagues.
Ways to support staff at work
- Raise awareness – create an open and supportive culture that gives affected workers the confidence to discuss their issues and experiences.
- Create posters and leaflets (or download them from key menopausal resources).
- Arrange events to educate or remind staff during World Menopause Month (October) or on World Menopause Day (18th October).
- Provide access to quiet areas to counter noisy/stressful work environments.
- Access to toilets/showers.
- Access to drinking water.
Ways to help deal with Menopause
- Attend meditation, mindfulness, emotional intelligence, yoga and wellbeing care classes.
- Use of stress or mindfulness apps.
- Contact a GP.
- Speak to colleagues/family and friends/specialist menopause groups.
Useful Links
- ACAS acas.org.uk
- Chartered Institute of Personal Development (CIPD) https://www.cipd.co.uk/
- NHS https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/menopause/
- Knowsley Chamber of Commerce https://www.knowsleychamber.org.uk/
- https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/
- The Menopause Charity themenopausecharity.org
Our managing director, Liam Hanlon, commented: “We are very proud of Kimberley and Ashleigh for participating in this training and raising awareness of the menopause at The Forshaw Group. We will be taking steps to implement more understanding and care around this subject for our staff.”
