Today's Topic
Today on A.Vogel Talks Menopause, I offer my top tips to help menopausal women in the workplace.
We know that some symptoms are really severe, even to the point where they can disrupt and impact your daily life. And one area that we know, just from all the questions we get in, is that you want to know what you can do to help yourself when your working day is disrupted, sometimes quite dramatically, by the symptoms you're getting.
So, today I thought I would talk about top tips that we use in my workplace to help women cope with all the issues going on with menopause.
Menopausal women at work
According to government figures, menopausal women are the fastest-growing demographic in the workplace. (1) So, more and more women are reaching menopausal age and still working, and that's a huge number of the female population.
However, recent surveys have shown how unsupported these women feel and the impact that menopause is having on their working life:
- A survey by the Fawcett Society found that one in 10 women who worked during menopause left a job due to their symptoms. (2)
- A survey by GenM, found that only 1 in 5 women believe their employer is wellinformed about the menopause. Over half (52%) of menopausal women stated their employer knows nothing or very little about the mental or emotional
effects of the menopause. (3)
So, although things are much more out in the open now, there is still a long way to go and much more education is needed on how to implement welfare measures for menopausal women.
I am lucky enough to work for a company that recognises the need to talk openly about menopause. We have an open-door policy, so anybody can come and talk to me at any time. They let me share my knowledge, not only through the blogs and videos that I do, but we have workshops as well as informal chats, any time they are needed. We also work with other companies to host menopause workshops, either in-person or over Zoom and Microsoft Teams.
My company even nominated me recently for the GenM awards, where I won the Menopause Champion of the Year award due to my efforts to break the stigma of menopause in the workplace through the internal activity I do for A.Vogel, as well as for other companies.
So, today I thought I would share some of the tips that I offer during my workplace chats and menopause workshops with A.Vogel staff and other businesses.
Tips on how to cope with menopause in the workplace
While companies should be looking to support you, ultimately you are your best support and there are things you can do and things you can ask for to help you. Here are a few top things to consider and do:
1. Let HR or your manager know you are going through menopause
This is the most important thing to do, especially if your symptoms are impacting you at work. Does your company know that there is an issue? Have you talked to HR, especially if you're in a company where the top echelon is mainly male, they may have no idea that a lot of women are having issues with perimenopause and menopause that may be affecting their work. So, the first thing to do is let HR know and ask them for their help.
2. Check to see if your company has a menopause policy
A lot of big companies have a menopause policy but they just haven't publicised it to all their employees. If they don't have one, you can do some work yourself. If you're in the UK, you can look up the Equality Act 2010. There's also the Health and Safety at Work Act, which covers well-being and emotional issues as well. If you're not sure, you can also go on to the ACAS website, which will give you plenty of details on women's rights as they go through menopause.
3. Ask your HR dept if they would consider holding a menopause workshop to help educate employees and managers
Can your company hold a workshop? Is there anyone in the company that can provide this, or can you go externally and ask companies like ourselves? A lot of areas also have health foods shops where there are practitioners who give menopause workshops too; so it's worth suggesting this or offering to help organise it.
Also, invite the men along, because not only will that help them understand the women in the workforce, but that can then go on to help them in their own relationships when their partners are going through menopause as well.
4. Set up a menopause chat group yourself in your workplace if there are other women of similar age
If there isn't any group or anything going on at your work, set one up yourself. Maybe just have an unofficial one where you meet once a week at coffee time, or even set a date outside at the weekend, where you can get all the women together.
One of the things we found at A.Vogel, and also throughout all the work that I do, is that sometimes all that women need is somebody to talk to for 15 - 20 minutes. Just being able to talk about how they feel can make a huge difference in how they can cope.
5. Deal with the symptoms that are causing you problems at work
This is easier said than done, but there are lots of simple things you can do to help ease your symptoms, from lifestyle and dietary changes to remedies and supplements that can help relieve your symptoms.
We know that sleep is probably the biggest issue here. If you are not sleeping well, then you could be starting your working day tired. That will affect your concentration. It will cause brain fog. And if you've got a physical job, that can cause fatigue. So, one of the most important things here, get your sleep sorted.
If you're having hot flushes at night or night sweats, you can look taking Sage tablets with your evening meal. If sleep itself is an issue, look at a combination of Valerian and Hops, taken 30 minutes before bed. To improve concentration, the herb Ginkgo biloba can be really helpful.
6. Make sure you take breaks and go outside on those breaks if you can
I know it's not always possible for a lot of people who work. But if you're in a situation where you can get out into the fresh air for even 15 or 20 minutes, just to have a break from your surroundings and all the pressure that you're under, that can make a huge difference. A short walk with some deep breathing can really make a difference to your energy throughout the afternoon.
7. Make sure you stay well-hydrated
For those of you who follow me, you know how important water is; so, keep water with you throughout your working day and drink regularly. However, I do know from feedback from women that in some jobs you can't have water with you. You can't have it in a bottle. You can't get access to water, or it may well be that you're out all day and you don't want to drink too much because you can't get to a toilet. In this situation, make sure you have plenty of water to drink for an hour or two before you go out to work and re-hydrate after work.
8. Remember to snack regularly because your blood sugar levels can dip really quickly
Blood sugar dips will cause brain fog and fatigue. So, to avoid these two symptoms, it is best to eat little and often. I recommend eating some healthy snacks in between your breakfast and lunch, and your lunch and your evening meal.
9. Make some environmental adjustments if you can
Check your working environment. Is there any way that your company can improve it for you? If you're in a big office where there may be no windows, even just getting your own personal fan can help greatly. If there is an office where you can have an open window, can you move your desk right next to the window so that you can be much more comfortable?
10. Make some workwear adjustments if you can
This is another one where I've had a lot of feedback, especially from women who have to wear uniforms. Very often, these uniforms are of man-made materials that can really make you sweat. So, if this is an issue, maybe talk to your HR about getting a uniform with more breathable materials. And try and wear layers if you can.
If you're finding that flushes and sweats are an issue, then wearing layers that you can put on and take off can be really helpful during your working day to keep your temperature much more even.
Are you Menopausal? Need help with your symptoms? Try our Menopause Symptom Checker.
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What else can help?
For those of you for whom it's appropriate, you could try our Menopause Support tablets. This is a menopause supplement that's helped thousands of women with their perimenopause and menopause symptoms. It contains magnesium, which is great for mood and relaxation, and is also an essential mineral for loads of different things during menopause. Menopause Support also contains hibiscus and soy isoflavones, which are phytoestrogens.
A.Vogel Menopause Support | For Perimenopause, Menopause & Postmenopause Symptoms
I hope you found this helpful. For myself, I've realised that if you can find you can get the right support at work, this can make a huge amount of difference in helping you cope with menopause.
So, for all of you out there, if your company has done great things, let us know because it can be helpful for so many other women. And if you've had any issues at work, then please share them with us; or if you have found something that has helped at work then again, we would love to hear about it.
Until next week, take care.
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