Menopause Could Be Making The Workday Harder For Women In This Way
You're halfway through a presentation when suddenly, you're hot, sweaty, and trying to remember what you were about to say.
Or maybe you barely slept because of night sweats, then had to show up for work the next morning like nothing happened.
For women going through perimenopause and menopause, symptoms can pop up at pretty inconvenient times. In a recent survey, researchers explored how these symptoms can affect work, as well as how women are managing them.
About the study
The survey included 1,011 U.S. women ages 40 to 65 who were either currently working or had left a job within the previous year.
All of them were experiencing bothersome hot flashes or night sweats, meaning they had at least two episodes a day during the previous two weeks.
Researchers asked the women about missed work, how effective they felt while working, whether their symptoms had affected decisions about their jobs, and whether they had received treatment or support from their employers.
Severe symptoms made work much harder
On average, women said their symptoms affected about 6% of their work time and made them feel 32% less effective while working. Among women with severe symptoms, that number rose to 50%.
Hot flashes were the biggest problem at work, followed by poor sleep from night sweats and mood changes. The effects also went beyond the workday.
About 17% of women said they had stopped working, thought about quitting, or cut back or considered cutting back their hours because of their symptoms. For women with severe symptoms, that number rose to 34.4%.
And despite the impact, 81.3% of the women said they had never received treatment for their symptoms.
Most women weren't talking about it at work
Menopause can feel pretty personal, so bringing it up with your boss isn't exactly an easy conversation. Only 20.7% of women had talked with their employer about their symptoms, and just 18.1% felt their employer was supportive.
Among women who hadn't brought it up, 38.7% said it felt too personal for work.
Others didn't think their symptoms were serious enough to mention, or simply didn't want to talk about them.
There's also a gap between what women want and what they feel they're getting.
About 66% said they wanted menopause-specific benefits, while 82.4% didn't think their employer recognized a need for them. Only 3.6% said their workplace offered menopause training.
A few ways to make the workday easier
The women in the survey were already using some simple ways to manage symptoms while working:
- A personal fan or cooler air: 71% used temperature control.
- Layered, breathable clothing: 46% used clothing to stay more comfortable.
- Deep breathing or meditation: 31.1% used these techniques.
Women also said employers could help by offering menopause-specific benefits, providing more education about menopause, and allowing more flexible work arrangements.
If symptoms are making it harder to get through your day, you don't have to simply put up with them.
Talk with a health care provider about menopause treatment options. Depending on your symptoms and health history, treatment can include hormone therapy or non-hormonal prescription medications.
The takeaway
For some women, menopause symptoms can make it harder to get through a normal workday and may even affect decisions about their jobs.
If symptoms are getting in the way, treatment and practical support are options worth discussing rather than something you simply have to push through.