109. It's Time to Start Talking About Menopause in the Workplace

Have you ever considered how menopause might be affecting your career or your workplace wellbeing? 

Many women, despite making up half of the workforce, grapple with challenges during menopause that often remain unspoken, from brain fog and fatigue to anxiety. In this episode of Real Food Stories, I address a crucial conversation around menopause in the workplace that needs to be addressed.  By sharing startling statistics and real-life experiences, we bring to light the pressing need for workplaces to become more menopause-friendly, much like they've adapted to support mental health and parental leave.

I delve into strategies that can break the silence and create a supportive environment for those navigating menopause. Encouraging open discussions with coworkers, friends, and HR departments can foster a workplace culture of understanding and compassion. This episode is a call to action for companies to recognize menopause as a legitimate workplace issue and for individuals to prioritize self-care. 

Together, we can create environments where women feel empowered to share their experiences without fear of stigma or career setbacks.

My Linkedin Article - Menopause in the Workplace: Why It’s Time to Start Talking About It

I would love to hear from you! What did you think of the episode? Share it with me :)

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi everybody and welcome back to the Real Food
Stories podcast.
I'm so glad to be back here.
It's been a few weeks.
I had to take a couple weeksoff because I finally, after
five years, got COVID and I wasstarting to think that I had
some super immunity against it.
And clearly I thought wrong andI got hit really hard with it.

(00:23):
Now, not sure if it's becauseI've never had it I am up to
date on my vaccines butnonetheless I still got it and
it would not let go of me for afew weeks.
So I've blogged about this lastweek and the week before because
that's literally all I could do.
I could not talk for a coupleweeks and I was not really

(00:45):
feeling good, and I'll linkthose in the show notes if you
want to read a little bit moreabout my experience.
But if I could say one thingabout recovering from illness
that I have learned, it is thisBe as kind and as compassionate
to yourself as you can possiblybe, allow yourself to get taken
care of by others.

(01:07):
I mean also some obvious otherthings that some people neglect
Hydrate and rest like it is yourfull-time job.
I hope this never happens to meagain, but it very well might,
and for someone who is arecovering perfectionist who,
like I said, almost never getssick.
This was a huge learning lessonfor me.

(01:29):
And okay, well, I'm back andhappy to be back, because being
sick is no fun at all.
All right, so, as you know, Icoach women in midlife and the
menopause transition to helpthem feel their best and be
their healthiest during thistime of their lives.
But there is a piece of thisequation that rarely gets talked

(01:50):
about, and that is women inmidlife and menopause and the
workplace.
In addition to working withwomen one-on-one and in group
settings, I also run corporatewellness programs for companies,
group settings.
I also run corporate wellnessprograms for companies, healthy
online cooking classes, webinars, and I'm launching a variety of
programs right now gearedtowards women's wellness in the

(02:12):
workplace, specifically lookingat menopause, because there is
an unmet and growing need forthis and we need to talk about
it Now.
You don't believe me.
Women have been silentlystruggling with menopause for as
long as there have been womenin menopause on the planet, and
that's kind of forever.

(02:33):
But let's talk about somenumbers and see if this
resonates with you.
Here's a few statistics 1.3million women enter menopause
each year in the United States,one in four women consider
leaving their jobs because ofmenopause symptoms, and 67% of

(02:55):
women say they feel unsupportedat work during menopause.
And yet most workplaces don'teven acknowledge menopause.
And yet most workplaces don'teven acknowledge menopause.
Now, menopause is not just apersonal health issue.
It is also a workplace issue.
It affects productivity,retention and mental well-being.

(03:18):
Now, the symptoms that youmight know of if you are in the
middle of going throughmenopause brain fog, fatigue,
disrupted sleep, hot flashes,anxiety, just to start naming a
few all have a direct impact onhow we show up at work.
Now, I have my own business andI show up for myself most of

(03:40):
the time, and I know how itfeels just for me.
So going into a largercorporate setting can feel
daunting when you've got a lotof these symptoms coming,
affecting your life.
And here's the kicker Menopausehappens right at the peak of
our careers.

(04:01):
We're experienced, we're leaders, we're running teams, we're
running companies, and yet manyof us feel unsupported,
dismissed or even pushed out.
We might even call it ageismgetting kicked out but there is
a menopause component going onhere.
Women make up half of theworkforce, yet menopause is

(04:24):
treated like a totally taboosubject, and here's the reality.
It's costing companies millionsin lost productivity, talent
retention and healthcare costs.
So today we're going to diveinto why menopause needs to be
part of the workplaceconversation, how it's affecting
women's careers and whatcompanies and we, as women, can

(04:49):
do about it.
So let's dive in.
All right, let's talk about thebiggest workplace challenges.
What does menopause feel likeand actually look like in the
workplace?
As a woman going throughmenopause, you may feel
everything from brain fog andproductivity struggles such as

(05:13):
you're in a meeting and forget asimple word.
Your thoughts feel scrambled,you start to question your
abilities.
I get this.
I feel this often.
You might be feeling hotflashes and just physical
discomfort.
For example, you're in a suit,it's freezing cold in the office
and suddenly you're drenched insweat.
I mean, that can be totallyembarrassing.

(05:34):
Fatigue and sleep disruptionMany, many women do not sleep
well during this time, so you'rewaking up multiple times a
night.
By mid-afternoon you can barelykeep your eyes open.
Or what about stress andanxiety?
You're juggling work, familylife, your parents, and now your

(05:56):
body feels like it's betrayingyou, and that can feel really
overwhelming.
Now imagine going through allof this but feeling like you
can't talk about it.
I mean, menopause itself isenough of a secret, just in our
personal lives.
It's just not talked about thatoften.
Right Then, put yourself intoyour workplace.

(06:19):
This is where the stigma ofmenopause in the workplace
becomes a problem.
Many women suffer in silencebecause they don't want to be
seen as weak or less capable,and companies need to start
making some changes.
So what needs to change incorporate settings for women?
So what needs to change incorporate settings for women?

(06:40):
As far as I see it, companiesneed to start stepping up,
because here's the truthMenopause-friendly workplaces
are the future.
We have rights for pregnantwomen, we have rights for other
health care issues in theworkplace, and menopause needs
to be put into this category too.

(07:00):
So, like I said, some companiesare starting to actively
implement mental health support,parental leave, pregnancy rates
, breastfeeding rooms, butmenopause is still largely and
mostly ignored.
So here's, I think, whatcompanies can do to support

(07:22):
midlife women who are goingthrough the menopause transition
.
First of all, the obvious one isacknowledge that menopause is a
workplace issue and not just apersonal issue and a secret.
Just like maternity leave ormental health, menopause
deserves policy considerations.
Two offer menopause-specificwellness programs.

(07:45):
Nutrition, stress management.
Hormonal health should be partof corporate wellness, not just
an afterthought.
Three, create a supportiveworkplace culture.
Open conversations, humanresource policies, flexible work
options can all help women stayengaged and productive.

(08:06):
And another thing to consider ishow women themselves, how we
can advocate for ourselves.
Let's talk about what we womencan do, because waiting around
for change isn't always anoption right, and we do need to
take responsibility for our ownhealth and well-being.
So here's how you can advocatefor yourself at work.

(08:26):
The first and most importantthing is to get educated on
menopause.
The more you understand yourbody, the more confidently you
can start communicating yourneeds.
You could also start aconversation with human
resources, your manager, yourco-workers Change starts with
awareness.

(08:46):
And, most importantly,prioritize your nutrition and
lifestyle support.
We can't just be a passiveplayer in our midlife and
menopause experience.
We also need to takeresponsibility for our own
health and well-being.
So managing menopause isn'tjust about surviving.

(09:07):
It's about thriving.
What you eat, how you move, howyou manage stress, your sleep
this all plays a role in how youfeel.
So I'm going to end this episoderight now because I want to
keep this conversation going onthe outside of this podcast.
Let's stop pretending thatmenopause is not happening.

(09:29):
It's real, it's normal and itdeserves to be part of the
workplace conversation.
Now I wrote a lengthy articleon LinkedIn which I will put in
the show notes, and I would loveto hear from you in those
comments, because I know thatmany of you are on LinkedIn.
So here's a few questions Iwanted to ask have you ever felt

(09:51):
unsupported at work duringmenopause and what changes would
you like to see in workplaces?
So again, send me a message,comment on my LinkedIn post and
share your experience with me,and I'm going to put that link
in the show notes.
And if your workplace isalready starting to support
midlife women with realsolutions, I offer workplace

(10:16):
wellness programs, like I saidearlier, designed specifically
for menopause, and I would loveto talk to you about that as
well.
So let's change the conversationtogether.
All right?
Thank you so much for tuning intoday.
If you found this episodehelpful, please share it with a
friend, a coworker or even yourhuman resource department.

(10:37):
The more we talk aboutmenopause, the more change we
can create.
So until next time, take careand nourish yourself well.
Bye for now.