Government and employers should do more to support menopausal women who often find symptoms exacerbated and difficult to manage at work, a UK report recommends.
The findings indicate that compared to other reproductive stages such as pregnancy and maternity, menopause is not well understood or catered for and many working women feel their colleagues are unsympathetic to their condition.
Based on 104 global studies and compiled for the UK government by the Universities of Bristol and Leicester, the report called for more menopause-friendly workplaces including providing fans to counter hot flushes and flexible working patterns so women can cope better with menopause-related sleep loss.
Prof Jo Brewis from the University of Leicester said: “Menopause transition has both negative and positive effects on working women, although there is more evidence for the former, including reduced productivity, higher rates of absenteeism and lower job satisfaction.
“Many women find transition symptoms, especially hot flushes, difficult to manage and (they find) that being at work can exacerbate these symptoms.”
Menopause generally happens after 40 and is a normal transitional stage indicating the end of a woman’s reproductive period when menstruation stops. Symptoms may include hot flushes, insomnia, mood swings, fatigue, depression and premature hair loss.
Source: Dr Wolff Group