October 25, 2025 • 54 mins
Menopause doesn’t clock out when we clock in—and ignoring that truth is costing organizations billions while pushing experienced talent to the margins. We sit down with Rachel Hughes of Alloy Women’s Health to unpack how symptoms like brain fog, sleep disruption, and hot flashes intersect with deadlines, shifts, and team dynamics. Through relatable stories and clear data, we map the ripple effects of untreated menopause—from presenteeism to turnover—and show why treating it as a workplace issue is both a moral imperative and a competitive advantage.
We break the cycle of silence with a practical playbook leaders can use right away. Think health transition policies, manager training that encourages empathy over awkwardness, flexible scheduling for heavy symptom phases, and small environmental tweaks that bring real relief. We also make the case for pairing culture change with clinical access. Many women are excellent candidates for menopause hormone therapy, yet uptake remains low due to misinformation and barriers to care. When evidence-based treatment meets psychologically safe workplaces, confidence returns and careers stay on track.
You’ll learn how to translate culture into metrics by listening first: run baseline surveys, track absenteeism and retention, and refine programming based on what employees actually need. We share low- and no-cost steps for organizations without big budgets, plus resources for individuals ready to seek help. Along the way, we highlight the role men can play as allies and managers, and why leadership is more about tone than title. The result is a roadmap that turns intention into implementation—and proves that when people feel seen as whole humans, performance and loyalty rise together.
If this conversation resonates, subscribe, share with a colleague, and leave a quick review. Your support helps more teams replace stigma with support and turn midlife into a season of strength.
Website: www.myalloy.com
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Email Us: info@midovia.com
MiDOViA is dedicated to changing the narrative about menopause by educating, raising awareness & supporting women in this stage of life, both at home and in the workplace. Visit midovia.com to learn more.
The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images & other material contained on this website are for informational purposes only. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_03 (00:00):
Welcome to the Medovia Menopause Podcast, your
trusted source for informationabout menopause and midlife.
Join us each episode as we havegreat conversations with great
people.
Tune in and enjoy the show.
SPEAKER_01 (00:17):
Hello, everyone.
Welcome to our final session ofour four-part webinar series in
recognition of MenopauseAwareness Month.
I can't believe we only have afew more weeks left, but we're
proud to bring this importantconversation to life through a
partnership between AlloyHealth, a leader in
evidence-based menopause careand telehealth solutions, and
Medovia, the U.S.
(00:38):
workplace leader in menopauseand midlife health.
And throughout this series,we've been breaking down the
myths, sharing the latestscience, and highlighting real
experiences of women navigatingperimenopause, menopause, and
beyond.
And our goal is simple.
Together, we want to replace thesilence with knowledge, empower
women to advocate forthemselves, and give
(00:59):
organizations the tools thatthey need to build supportive
cultures.
Together, Alloy Health andMedovia are working to change
the way menopause and franklythis stage of life is understood
in healthcare, in the workplace,and in society.
So thank you for joining us aswe open the door to honest,
informed, and hopefulconversations.
So today, we're addressingmenopause at work, why every
(01:23):
employer should care.
And April and I are joined byRachel Hughes.
Rachel is the community managerat Alloy Women's Health, where
she helps bridge the gap betweenwomen seeking answers and the
science-backed solutions thatsupport their well-being.
Rachel's career spans dance,education, nutritional
counseling, and more than adecade of working with chronic
(01:44):
pain patients.
Her personal experience withPerimenopause led her to become
a passionate advocate andeducator, launching Perry Talks
and hosting the PerryPPerimenopause what sorry, I'll
use the acronym WTH podcast.
I really wanted to say it, youguys, but I know it's okay.
(02:07):
That helped grow from the Periapp to the number one menopause
community platform.
And at Alloy, Rachel now leadswebinars and community programs
that empower women with clarity,connection, and expert hormonal
care.
We're doing a new thing today orsomething we all haven't tried.
We're going to co-facilitate.
So Medovia will ask Rachelquestions and then Rachel will
(02:30):
ask Medovia questions, but we'resuper excited.
Rachel, welcome, welcome to thewebinar.
SPEAKER_00 (02:35):
Thank you so much for having me.
It's an absolute pleasure to bewith you.
SPEAKER_01 (02:39):
We're excited.
So Alloy's mission has been toclose the gap in menopause care.
What are you hearing most oftenfrom women about how their
workplace experience intersectswith their health?
SPEAKER_00 (02:53):
What I hear again and again is that menopause
doesn't clock out when you go towork.
Women talk about brain fogduring meetings, poor sleep that
bleeds into focus, or hotflashes that make them feel
exposed or embarrassed in frontof colleagues.
But what really comes through isthe silence around it.
(03:14):
And that silence shows upeverywhere.
So not just in corporateoffices, but in classrooms,
hospitals, kitchens, factories,hotels, um, teachers trying to
keep it together in front ofstudents, nurses on double
shifts, women on their feet andhospitality or retail, whatever
it is.
Um, women are all navigatingsymptoms while trying to do
(03:35):
their jobs.
And I would say that whatgenerally starts to shift is a
moment of candor.
So one person saying, This iswhat's happening to me is where
connection and culture sort ofcollide and change can begin.
And I will tell you that when Iwas working um with chronic pain
patients, I was probably in myearly 40s and I was really sort
(04:00):
of in my um perimenopausal peakuh and doing very poorly.
I was really struggling mentallyand physically, and I was making
mistakes in the office, and itwas difficult, it was scary, I
worried about keeping my job.
Um, and I it actually took amoment with a patient who had
(04:24):
come into the office whoseappointment I had screwed up.
And she said, Oh, it happens tome all the time.
And I said, I feel like I just Icannot remember.
I can't remember from the time,you know, I walk to the end of
the door that I'm supposed to dosomething else when I get back
and whatever it is.
And she said, Oh, I know it, youknow, yeah, it's it's
(04:45):
perimenopause, it's yourhormones.
And and we sort of had a goodlaugh and a good, you know,
moment of camaraderie, but italso sort of freed me up to then
go to the people I was workingwith in office and say, hey, I
think this is happening to me.
And I don't want to make too biga deal about it.
I don't really know about it.
Um, do you?
(05:06):
And can we be in lockstep abouthow I'm doing because I don't
want to lose my job and I don'twant to sort of ruin your time
and space here.
SPEAKER_03 (05:16):
It's such a brave thing, though, um, for you to do
that.
And there, and I'm sure we'llunpack that in our conversation
today when we flip the scriptand you start asking us
questions.
But um, you know, we hear thatoften that it's not a safe space
for people.
And unless you have the culturalchange and normalize the
conversation in the workplace,that employees aren't asking for
(05:38):
that support.
So um grave actually at thatpoint in time, if you think
about where Menopause was whenyou had that conversation.
And, you know, I think a lot ofwomen um don't ask for help.
They suffer in silence becausethey fear that conversation or
losing their job.
And I know Alloy um justrecently published insights um
(06:02):
about the cost of untreatedmenopause from that missed work
day to the higher medical spend.
And I'm wondering if you canshare some of the data or
stories that surprised you themost from that information and
that data.
SPEAKER_00 (06:15):
Yeah, great question.
Thank you.
Um, the number that reallystruck me is really about how
far the ripple effect goes.
Um, that untreated menopausedoesn't just lead to
absenteeism, it leads topresenteism.
So women are showing up but notoperating at their best because
they're exhausted, anxious, orfoggy brained.
(06:36):
Um you're right, the storiesbehind the data are the ones
that stay with me.
I've spoken to women who've leftjobs because they couldn't name
what was happening, um, otherswho spent months or even years
seeking help from specialist tospecialist, using up sick days,
spending money, um, and stillnot getting an answer.
(06:57):
Um it's heartbreaking mainlybecause it's all preventable, I
think.
And when we connect the dotsbetween cost and care, both
financial and emotional, thecase for treating menopause as a
public health and workplaceissue becomes undeniable.
Um the data actually looked up abit because I I don't I didn't
exactly know where we are in themoment versus where we've been
(07:22):
just most recently.
But apparently the average USworking woman spends roughly
8,000 days in the perimenopauseto menopause transition.
More than half of those womensay that their symptoms do
interfere with their jobperformance.
Menopause costs United Statesemployers about$18 billion a
year in absenteeism, which isstaggering.
(07:43):
Um, and companies, and this iswhat's so important and hopeful,
that companies that offereducation and flexibility see up
to 40% lower turnover amongmidlife employees.
So to me, that's just anincredible signal that when
women are supported, everyonebenefits productivity benefits,
retention benefits, moralebenefits.
(08:04):
And that's really something thatwe see firsthand at Alloy, where
education and access to care umconsistently translate to women
staying engaged in their workand in their lives.
unknown (08:16):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (08:17):
Well, one of the things that I love that I've
learned actually through thispodcast series is that you've
got great community networks offolks that come together.
And I know, and I'm sure youjust like us, Rachel.
I'm sure anytime you get in aroom and say, This is what I
work in the menopause space,everyone wants to tell you their
(08:38):
story, right?
Because finally someone mightlisten and understand to what
I'm going through, but becausegosh, it's lonely.
And um, I had an appointmentthis morning with this woman in
Perry Menopause, and she wasjust like, I feel like I'm going
crazy.
And I'm like, What are youdoing?
And where are you finding yourpeople?
Like, let's talk about this alittle bit.
(08:58):
But for your communityconversations are huge in terms
of the intel that you'regetting, and you probably heard
a lot about what women wishtheir employers would do to help
support them.
What have you heard in terms ofwhat they wish they had?
Because I love yourconversation.
Like, do you know anything aboutthis?
(09:18):
Because I don't know anythingabout this.
I was, you know, that's that'sreal honest, right?
But what do you what do theywish employers understood about
menopause and where areemployers' biggest blind spots
when it comes to supportingwomen?
SPEAKER_00 (09:32):
Thank you for this question.
I hear from women a lot insupport groups um that they are
feeling a lack of support.
And certainly in the workplace,this is um painfully significant
to their livelihoods.
So it's a it's a big, it's a bigdeal.
Um I think mostly women wishtheir employers understood that
(09:54):
menopause isn't a niche or awomen's issue.
Um it's a workforce issue.
We know nearly half theworkforce will experience it,
often in their peak careeryears.
Um in the US, I believe it'ssomething 80% of the workforce
over the age of 40 or betweenthe ages of 40 and 54, I believe
(10:15):
it is, are women.
And one in 10 of them willconsider leaving their jobs
because of menopausal symptoms.
And by the time these women are55 to 64 years old, that
workforce number drops tosomething like 60%.
So the problem isn't capability.
Um, symptoms like brain fog,fatigue, or insomnia affect
focus and confidence, as westated, but it doesn't affect
(10:38):
intelligence or ambition.
Um, other countries we knowwe've seen the UK, Australia,
Canada, have already enactednational workplace menopause
policies.
And here in the in the US, youknow, the work you guys are
certainly doing helps to sort ofhelp us here remain committed to
this conversation.
(10:59):
Um I would say it's important tomention that the blind spot is
assuming that this is somethingthat happens to executives
behind closed doors.
It's happening everywhere, as Imentioned to teachers,
healthcare workers, uh,workhouse supervise, warehouse
supervisors, line cooks,baristas, bus drivers.
So support might look differentin each setting.
(11:20):
It could be schedule flexibilityor access to
temperature-controlled spaces,or even just the grace to step
away for a moment, which is theexperience that I had.
But it starts the same wayeverywhere, right?
With awareness and empathy.
And what women tell me more thananything is that they want to be
(11:40):
seen not as less capable orfragile, but as whole people
navigating this very normal lifestage while still delivering
tremendous value at work.
Um, and I think part of whatwomen ask for is access to care.
And what I will often recommendis listing things out, whether
(12:00):
it's your symptoms that you thentake to your doctor's
appointment or it's yourstrategy list.
And on that list should be toschedule a visit with a
menopause specialist.
So beyond workplace flexibility,sometimes the biggest relief
doesn't come from policy, itcomes from treatment.
And many women don't realizethat they are indeed excellent
(12:20):
candidates for hormone therapy,which can dramatically improve
so many of their symptoms, amongthem focus, lack of sleep,
overall well-being.
So, yes, you can ask for theflexible hours or environmental
changes, but you really deserveclinical guidance.
Um, and there's just so muchresearch out there.
We know that MHT is the mosteffective treatment for
(12:42):
menopausal symptoms and hasextra benefits as well.
SPEAKER_03 (12:46):
Yeah.
Access to care is so criticalfor women to get the help that
they need so that they canreturn to the workplace, right?
That that's ultimately what wewant is for women not to suffer
and to be able to return to theworkplace or stay in the
workplace so that those numbersdecrease, right?
Um, of women leaving.
Um, I want to I want to ask thisquestion because it's um it's
(13:08):
something that Kim and I banterback and forth about all the
time.
And I'm curious um to know whatyour answer is.
You you um mentioned that manyemployers start off by adding a
benefit, a menopause benefit,but you've said before that
that's only one piece of thepuzzle.
So can you expand on that andtell us what else, in your
(13:28):
opinion, is needed to make realchange?
SPEAKER_00 (13:30):
Sure.
Um, so I, you know, first ofall, let me just say benefits
are uh a fantastic startingpoint, but they're not the full
picture.
A menopause benefit will givewomen access to care, hopefully,
which is crucial.
But real change happens when theculture shifts along with the
policy.
So employers can make a hugedifference with very simple
(13:52):
steps like um formalizing amenopause or health transition
policy.
So women don't have to startfrom scratch asking what's
allowed, um, educating managersand staff.
So menopause becomes normalizedrather than stigmatized.
So trainings, awarenesssessions, internal
communications.
I think offering flexible workarrangements sounds great.
(14:15):
But in reality, you know, remoteoptions exist and maybe sort of
the key to a woman's umtransition for some time.
Um, shift adjustments or laterstart times, especially during
the heavier symptom phases.
Adjusting the physicalenvironment comes up a lot,
better temperature control.
I think that's a tough one, youknow, if you're in an office
(14:37):
with 200 people and sort ofdemanding that the temperature
be below 65 degrees, somepushback.
Um, but you know, it's aconversation perhaps in your
workplace uh it is uh accessibleto you.
I think monitoring workplaceculture, are women safe to speak
up?
Are leaders modeling empathy,are peer support groups, or like
(14:59):
menopause champions, sisters inplace?
And importantly, I think linkingmenopause support to business
outcomes like retention,engagement, and innovation,
because it's not justwell-being, it's good
leadership.
So that means training managersto lead with understanding,
(15:20):
revising HR language, ensuringthat every employee from the
break room to the boardroomfeels comfortable naming what
they're experiencing.
And again, remembering that it'snot limited to corporate spaces.
You know, there's a platform outof the UK UK that I I had a
chance to observe here in theUnited States called Over the
(15:41):
Bloody Moon.
And you know, are you familiarwith her?
Fantastic.
And she created this um thisvest that I can't remember the
the cat.
Um and I had an opportunity towatch her in action here in a
New York company, and it wasfascinating.
So she gave the vest to two menwho were both um, you know,
(16:05):
higher up in the company.
And I think it was like an hour,maybe two, that they went off.
You know, everyone went on.
We had we gathered, we talked,we talked about the vest.
Then the two men put on the vestand had the experience of random
hot flashes for let's just sayit was two hours.
And then we all gathered backagain and talked about it.
And I have to say, it was such aperfect example of culture
(16:29):
change not starting with policy.
It starts with people talkingand learning and realizing that
they're not alone.
And finally, I mean, I wouldjust say, you know, I'd add
again that one piece that reallymatters is speaking with a
menopause trained practitioner.
I bang this drum a lot, but youknow, the clinicians, for
example, that we have at Alloy,because the truth is if you're
(16:51):
experiencing symptoms, you are acandidate for menopause hormonal
therapy.
It can make all the differencefor you personally and
professionally.
Um so yeah, that's what I wouldthrow in there.
SPEAKER_01 (17:03):
Well, I totally agree with all that.
I mean, I know.
I'm shaking my head like, yep,no, you're gonna have to take my
hormone patch out.
I'm speaking in a choir here.
Yeah, no, I love it.
But I love that you talk aboutleadership and culture.
And you gave a really goodexample of uh the executives
wearing the menovest, which isseems like a funny thing, but
(17:25):
you know, you're actually in thelived experience there.
Do you have other examples inyour mind where leadership
really made the difference tohelp, you know, help change the
culture and help people withborn with ovaries feel
comfortable in the workplace?
SPEAKER_00 (17:40):
Yeah, I would say, you know, we we the word
leadership suggests someoneabove us, and that isn't always
the case.
Leadership doesn't always meansomeone with a title.
Um, sometimes it's the team leadwho checks in quietly, or the
shift supervisor who advocatesfor a fan or flexible
scheduling, or just thecolleague who says, you know,
(18:02):
I've been there too.
Um, I think when leaders at anylevel model empathy, they give
everyone else permission tofollow.
And that's when the culturereally starts to evolve.
I would say again, at uh atAlloy, that's been true from the
start.
Our founders built this companyon transparency.
They've always led with honestyabout their own experiences and
(18:25):
a deep respect for women'shealth is essential, not
optional.
Um, as well is so importantly asa deep belief that women deserve
evidence-based care and respectat every stage of life.
So, you know, the workplacesthat get this right understand
something quite simple butprofound that leadership is less
(18:47):
about hierarchy and more abouttone.
Um, and the tone that says,like, this is a place where
you're allowed to be human.
Um, so yeah, that's that'sallowed to be human, right?
SPEAKER_03 (19:00):
Allowed to be human.
Yeah, I love that.
And we are all human, we're allso different, but I think
storytelling is really importanttoo.
So thank you for bringing thatup.
I think um we've seen it in thework that we do.
When we share our stories, Kimand mine and Kim's stories are
so completely different, but um,when we share those stories,
you're right.
It it just sets the tone foreveryone else in the room.
(19:22):
So you create a safe space.
Yeah, like, oh my gosh, Ithought I was the only one,
right?
SPEAKER_00 (19:28):
Yes, and and that really is the thing that if you
know, if you're listening tothis and you're going through
it, I would say like pick onecrack in the door that you can
find and go through it.
You know, maybe it's schedulinga conversation with your manager
or a lunch with a friend or umtalking to your doctor, simply
(19:50):
you know, giving yourself creditfor for how much you're already
caring.
Um, the truth is you don't haveto white knuckle your way
through this season.
You deserve care, you deservesupport, you deserve to feel
like yourself again, and youdeserve to sort of walk through
this um safely and confidentlyin your workspace as well.
(20:13):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (20:13):
I'm so surprised how many people I still talk to are
like, I just I feel terrible.
And I'm like, well, what do youdo?
What are you doing?
And they're like, well, nothingyet.
SPEAKER_00 (20:21):
And I'm like, yeah, I know it's incredible.
The number of women, I believeit's still it's like between
four and five percent is thenumber of women who are taking
advantage of MHT.
And I know for black women,brown women, Native women, that
number is closer to two percent.
(20:43):
Um, so there is still an amazingamount of misinformation, yes,
but I think also, you know, usGen Xers are sort of the last
generation, I think, of womenwho will walk in blindly, more
or less, to this season of life.
And so there's still there'sthis sort of like transition
(21:05):
phase, right?
We're we're we are we know we'reimpacted by the lack of stories,
the lack of information, or thepoor stories of the past.
And we're getting the truth andwe're getting the amplification
of what's real now.
So our daughters and so on andso on will have an easier time.
(21:25):
But this time is is very tender,I think, and precious and and
impressionable.
And so, all the more reason foryou know, the work that you do,
the work that we do at Alloy,the the midlife women who are
just coming out and sharingtheir stories and like cracking
wider those cracks in the spacesand saying, you know, me too, me
(21:45):
too.
This is happening, this is real,you know, I'm not crazy, you're
not crazy.
All of that just helps to buoyall of us.
SPEAKER_01 (21:53):
Yeah, totally.
And we get up every morningbecause we don't want our
daughters to have to go throughthis, right?
SPEAKER_03 (21:59):
Yeah, yeah, it's true.
That my daughter has all thebooks.
Yes, 25 books looking at thebookshelf right now, like she
knows.
Um I have a son who's okay.
SPEAKER_00 (22:13):
So I'll just say, like, the daughters is is
wonderful, but the sons too, youknow, they they should be a part
of the conversation, they willbe more and more.
And I I feel very happy that Ihave uh a son who just got
married and he'll you know be abe a wonderful partner to his
wife now, in addition, you know,in this stage of her life when
(22:37):
they get there.
SPEAKER_01 (22:38):
Yeah.
My daughter's boyfriend knowsmore about menopause than I
think any other 20-year-old hasa right to.
SPEAKER_02 (22:45):
That's amazing.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (22:47):
It's important, it's really though.
I just um I really want to stopand just emphasize what what
both of you just said, though,because it's so important to
have males a part of thisconversation and to educate so
that they understand whetherwhether you're managing people,
whether you're a colleague atwork, whether you're a spouse, a
partner, a brother, you know, itit's just important for them to
(23:09):
understand what we're goingthrough.
Um, and we won't necessarilytalk about vaginal health today,
but that's huge.
And for males to understand ifyou're in a relationship with
someone that's going throughmenopause, it's critical that
they understand what's going onbecause it can cause
relationship difficulties.
So education, education,education, right?
SPEAKER_00 (23:32):
I'm so glad you brought that up.
And and just to close the loopon that point, you know, to this
conversation, that younger mentoday will be well versed in
this conversation as they enterworkspaces and what a difference
that will make for the women whoare going through this season of
life, um, that they will havesupport not only from their
(23:55):
female colleagues, but fromtheir male colleagues who will
say, Yeah, my mom, you know,yeah, my sister, yeah, my wife.
And, you know, can you imaginethe the culture of any office
space that had that reallythreaded into it?
It changes everything.
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_03 (24:11):
It changes everything.
Yeah.
Well, we're gonna switch gearsnow.
Um, as we noted at thebeginning, we're gonna flip the
script and we're gonna hand themicrophone over to you to ask us
questions um about theworkplace.
So I'm gonna let you take itfrom here and let's talk
workplace.
SPEAKER_00 (24:29):
This is exciting.
Thank you for allowing me thespace to do.
SPEAKER_01 (24:33):
It's fun.
SPEAKER_00 (24:33):
Yeah, this is fun.
So, Medovia, ladies, um, youhave helped companies move from
awareness to accreditation.
What's the biggest hurdle thatorgas organizations face when
starting this journey?
And I don't know if you'd bothlike to answer or if I can call
on April 1st and then I'll takeit.
SPEAKER_03 (24:54):
Okay, happy to.
Yeah.
Um, I I love this questionactually.
The the biggest hurdle that wesee with organizations is the
implementation.
It's moving from intention toimplementation.
Most organizations, I think,truly want to support employees
through menopause, but they'renot always sure where to start.
(25:15):
That's the most difficult piece.
Um, some organizations mightstart with a policy, um, they
might update their guidancedocument, they might host a
one-off awareness session, butthat often means that employees
don't know that the policyexists or it isn't a living and
breathing document, or it looksgood on paper, but the culture
(25:36):
hasn't changed that we've beentalking about here.
And it might not feel safe.
You know, we use safe a lot inconversations.
Um, without that culture change,it might not feel safe to talk
about menopause or to speak toyour manager about the support
that you need.
And if organizations begin witha one-off training session
(25:57):
without a well-laid out plan fornext steps, it can often leave
employees with more questionsthan answers.
Or managers, right?
They they don't, we've had thistraining, and now I'm receiving
questions from my employees, andI don't know how to answer them.
I don't know how to continue theconversation with employees.
(26:17):
Or we have employees who aregoing through menopause who feel
really frustrated or fearfulthat they're going to be looked
at as unproductive, incapable.
And you mentioned that earlierin our conversation, Rachel.
That's the last thing we want todo.
So if I come in and I tell, youknow, um a whole organization
(26:41):
that women or people born withovaries can experience 34
menopause symptoms up to, right?
Um, brain fog, loss ofconcentration, or fatigue.
What message does that send tomy manager if I haven't trained
all levels of the organizationto ensure that they understand
that this isn't a deathsentence?
(27:02):
Right.
We're human beings and we'rejust moving through this normal
stage of life.
And I say normal becausesometimes we're moving through
it not naturally, but surgicallyor medically induced.
But it's just a normal stage oflife that we need additional
support, perhaps.
We need access to care thatwe've talked about.
And then I can return to theworkplace or stay in the
(27:24):
workplace, and I'm able toperform at my peak.
And the same holds true in thehome as well.
So, what we've seen is if youhave a well-laid out plan, once
leaders are able to take thatfirst step and opening up the
conversation, listening toemployees and using that
structured framework to guidethe process, everything changes.
(27:47):
Um, you know, we see confidencebuild in employees and managers,
HR professionals.
We see awareness grow andincrease, and those
conversations shift from weshould do something to we're
proud to be menopause friendly,right?
SPEAKER_00 (28:02):
I love that.
That's really where we wantthem.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Of course, of course.
I love that you highlight alllevels of an organization.
Uh, you're reminding me of aconversation I had with my
college roommate, who's anattorney now, and we were
talking about menopause in theworkplace.
And she was saying that she hadsomeone working under her who
(28:23):
was really struggling, and itwas probably perimenopause.
But the best she could offer herwas time off for mental health
support.
And she was sort of like, Idon't know how to make this
better here.
And you know, I don't know whatto do, and I don't even know if
I should talk to her about it.
So I'm thinking about that, youknow, just sort of the expanding
(28:45):
the conversation this way andthis way, right?
Absolutely, right?
SPEAKER_03 (28:49):
It's just and usually it does start with um
senior leadership and HR andmanagers and supervisors, so
that they're at the ready,right?
We want them at the ready andcomfortable and they know what
to say and they know where tosign post resources.
They understand internally whatresources are available to
support employees.
(29:10):
What's what is that roadmap,right?
What is my guidance?
Um, where do I go?
Where can I, where can I go,right?
Where are my guardrails, Iguess, is the best way to put
that.
It makes them feel so much moreconfident.
So that when you train youremployees, you're ready.
unknown (29:25):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (29:25):
And there's research that shows that employers that
most employers who don't haveanything for menopause, it's
because nobody asked formenopause support in the work.
Right.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (29:36):
So a real oversight at this point.
SPEAKER_01 (29:39):
If you're just sitting around assuming that
your employer doesn't care aboutwhether you're going through
menopause or not, don't assumethat unless you've asked for it
and you, you know, you didn'tget the resources that that you
needed.
So, and on our website, we havea whole page for people of how
to bring it up at work, right?
How to talk about it with yourHR team or with your leaders
around how to provide.
(30:00):
More support.
So I think that's an importantthing to keep in mind here that
organizations want to retain youand they want to have a good
culture.
SPEAKER_00 (30:09):
But if nobody's glad you brought that up, Kim, that's
such a good point.
I want to ask you both at theend where we can all find you
and learn.
But um, Kim, I do want to askfor organizations without big
budgets, what are the simplest,most meaningful steps to begin
supporting menopause at work?
SPEAKER_01 (30:29):
Yeah, and we've talked about some of these
already.
Like just start theconversation, right?
Just mention menopause and yournewsletters and your internal
communications, like normalizethe topic.
Help HR really be able to havethe conversation so that you can
have inclusive language thatincludes everyone in this space.
Um there we have a checklist onour website that says what does
(30:51):
it mean to be menopausefriendly?
And we're very specific on whatthat looks like.
What have you done in yourculture to help um to help
advance this conversation?
You mentioned training managers.
It you know, that's notexpensive.
And that would retain theretention fee that you would
gain from not losing someone ishuge.
(31:12):
So having managers have thatinformation, you know, look at
the current existing resourcesthat you already have.
I and I I am surprised everytime when I am giving a training
and employees are like, I didn'tknow we had that benefit, right?
Right?
We didn't I didn't know that wehad this as a so look at your
(31:33):
current.
Do you have a flexible workenvironment?
Do you have mental healthpolicies?
Do you have an EAP program?
Do you have, you know, PTO thatpeople can use?
Like look at what you already dohave and really communicate that
this is this is something thatcan help support you.
Then employee resource groups.
Lots of employers have employeeresource groups or internal peer
(31:56):
circles that really help withthose conversations.
And you know, they're not alwaysthere.
Some of them are women atwhatever the employer is, some
of them are have funny acronymsthat what did we hear yesterday?
College.
The College Club.
Yeah, I never looked at that onebefore.
And like, I love that one.
Yeah.
Um, those are no cost.
(32:18):
In fact, I know Accenture had awomen's menopause group that was
very active and vibrant aroundthe world, and it had no budget.
So I think there are ways to toshare that information um in
affiliate groups and invite themen to come too so that they can
easy.
Acknowledge things like WorldMenopause Day and Perimenopause
(32:40):
Month, like invite a speaker orpost an article or share stories
of people that are navigating itto sort of normalize the
conversation.
We always say that find out whatyour employees want, right?
Gather that feedback, help youunderstand what the employees
need to sort of be comfortablein that environment and then
(33:02):
make those changes and add morethings over time as it allows.
But the cost savings, and wehave a calculator on our website
that people can look at what thecost savings is or what the cost
is of doing nothing, right?
How many people do you have inyour organization?
How many women do you have ofthis age group?
(33:24):
This is what it would cost youif you do nothing.
And it's steep.
So it doesn't need to be costly,but the return on investment is
high, whatever it is that youwould want to spend.
So I think employers can startsmall, it doesn't have to cost a
lot of money, and people willfeel more loyal to their company
(33:45):
because you care about theirwhole health.
SPEAKER_00 (33:48):
That's such a good point that women who are going
through this transition willfeel more loyal and more aligned
with their employer when theyfeel that their employer is
taking care of them.
And the lift of that is prettyminor, whether it's, you know,
(34:08):
once a quarter lunch or, youknow, once a quarter speaker,
whatever it is, you know, whenwhen you're talking about either
the sort of your bottom line oryour um your employee health, it
it really becomes pretty starkthat one does not cost a lot at
all.
And the benefit is sosignificant.
(34:30):
I love that.
Those are terrible suggestions.
Um, April, I'm gonna ask youthis next question.
Um, how do you help leadersconnect menopause to measurable
outcomes like engagement andretention?
We touched on this a bit, but ifyou want to blow it out some
more, that would be great.
SPEAKER_03 (34:48):
Yeah, yeah, I'm happy to.
And we get this question a lot.
Um, you know, typically this iswhere organizations start.
They want the data.
Give me the numbers, give me thedata.
I need to prove that this issomething that my organization
can afford.
We want to see the return on theinvestment.
Kim, you just said return oninvestment.
Um, you know, we we like tobelieve that we help leaders
(35:09):
within organizations connect,connect the culture to data.
So we translate the culture intodata.
In other words, we start withlistening to employees.
Kim, you said this.
Um, listen to employees, surveyyour employees.
We recommend that they startthere.
Start early on and gatheringthat honest feedback and then
(35:31):
act on what you hear.
Monitoring that feedbackregularly is really essential
because your employees will tellyou whether your programming is
working or not.
And if we don't start bysurveying our employees early
on, we're just makingassumptions.
I'm, you know, I like to thinkabout it as like throwing that
spaghetti on the wall to see ifit sticks, right?
That's essentially what we'redoing.
(35:52):
So um ask, ask your employees,survey your employees.
Right now, most of theinformation that organizations
have is anecdotal becausethey're not measuring it
internally, right?
So we are asking, we have data,but we don't have data because
organizations haven'tnecessarily implemented that or
(36:13):
included that in part of theirKPIs, for example, and things
that they're measuring.
Um, so part of the reason um isthat you can't go from zero to a
hundred overnight.
You first have to putprogramming into place that
begins to change the culture tocreate the safe place.
That's the safe word again,where employees feel comfortable
(36:35):
being open about menopause andtalking about their experiences
that we've mentioned.
And only then I feel that youcan go deeper where you can
actually put on your um surveys,are you missing work because of
menopause symptoms?
You know, why are you takingtime off work?
Is it because you'reexperiencing menopause symptoms
(36:55):
or hot flashes?
You can't ask that in theforefront without creating that
culture.
And then once that trust andthat framework is put into
place, the data becomesincredibly powerful.
We help organizations trackabsenteeism, retention, and that
employee satisfaction over time.
And it's real, um, those are keymetrics.
(37:18):
It tells a real clear story whenyou can look at those
measurables within yourorganization.
SPEAKER_00 (37:26):
I bet you've had several of, oh wow, I didn't
realize that kind of post-surveyconversations.
SPEAKER_03 (37:33):
Absolutely.
I mean, just even surveying, wecan um kind of dip our toe in
the water when we're um hostingawareness training sessions for
organizations and we try tosurvey as much as we can.
Even that small amount of datathat we extract from those
training sessions is prettypowerful.
And organizations, Kim, I'm sureyou would agree, they're just
(37:55):
shocked at the information thatcomes out.
Um it's that's my favoriteactually, to do sessions.
And then you you survey and yourchat blows up and your the light
bulb goes on for your HRprofessionals and your executive
leaders because they had noidea.
But again, we've created thatsafe space for people to ask
(38:16):
questions where they feel thisis normal, other people are
experiencing it.
I'm okay, it's okay to share.
Um, and then of course, thosesurveys are anonymous and and
there's no fear that they'regonna lose their jobs or they're
gonna be out.
And so you have this data andyou provide it to employers, and
then you can begin to build thatprogramming, normalizing the
(38:38):
conversation, and then you godeeper and you build that into
your existing, um, you know,like I said, your KPIs and your
measurements, whatever thatlooks like for your
organization.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (38:48):
I feel like excited hearing about it because I I
have no doubt that the work youdo in sort of like starting up
here and going deeper, deeper,deeper, um, then becomes sort of
this very engaged, um,enlightened community, corporate
community environment wherepeople are like, we can do this.
(39:09):
This is not a big deal.
And suddenly there's a whole newconversation happening in a
place that wouldn't havewhispered about it.
That must be done.
SPEAKER_03 (39:18):
It's really exciting.
Yeah, exciting, especially tosee the men come along too.
Yeah, it's always so incrediblyempowering to see that.
Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (39:27):
And there's no doubt they're taking that home, which
is also Oh, 100% right.
SPEAKER_03 (39:32):
Yeah, we I always share.
Um, we hosted a couple ofsessions at the Pacific
Northwest Dental Conferenceearlier this spring, and the the
practice owner sessions that weran afterwards, there were, I
don't know, Kim, maybe 10, 10people lined up to talk to us.
Every single one of them wasmale.
Yeah.
Oh, that's amazing.
(39:53):
How can I help my wife?
How can I help my spouse?
You know, even beyond the theirtheir practices.
Yeah, they were really concernedabout their wives and they had
no idea.
And so it really is rewardingfor everyone.
SPEAKER_00 (40:07):
Absolutely.
Oh, I'd love to hear it.
Um, Kim, I'm gonna pose thisnext question to you.
All right.
Um, we're seeing more employersadd menopause benefits or
clinical solutions, but as we'vespoken about, that doesn't alone
create a supportive environment.
Um, how do you explain whyclinical benefits aren't enough
(40:28):
and why culture change isimperative to real impact?
SPEAKER_01 (40:33):
Yeah, that's a great question.
Menopause is not just a medicalissue, it's a workplace culture
issue.
If when women get support duringthis time from a medical
perspective, it's great, but ifthey're treated differently when
those symptoms appear or notsupported as they're trying to
work through this, shame,silence, um, or a
(40:57):
misunderstanding can driveabsenteeism, it can drive
performance dips, or even youknow, the data of one in 10
women thinking about leave leavethe workforce.
So no benefit can solve thatwithout culture change.
I think that access doesn'tequal comfort.
Even when benefits exist, womenwon't use them for fear of being
(41:18):
judged or overlooked for apromotion.
So making the culture feel safeso that you can do those things
is that happening?
You know, I always think thatclinical care supports the body,
but the culture supports theperson, the person that comes to
work every day.
And education, empathy, flexiblepractices, feel like you belong
(41:41):
or are included with where youare in your life, makes such a
big difference.
You know, data shows that whenawareness um improves retention,
so it shows measurablereductions in absenteeism and
turnover when the medicalunderstanding is a pair is
(42:01):
paired, sorry, with theorganizational action like
training, like an open dialogue,like we've talked about, like
manager support.
So I think for me, in short,that clinical benefits treat the
symptoms, which is fantastic andyou need them.
And like we've talked about, weare all big fans of that work,
but culture changes andtransforms the experience that
(42:25):
you're having in the workplace.
So for us, it's a differencebetween sort of checking the box
and changing lives so thatpeople feel supported and um
want we want them to stay in theworkplace.
Ageism is still out there,right?
Yeah, for sure.
As long as we can support peoplein that space and make sure that
we they've got both benefits andthe support in the organization,
(42:48):
it pairs fantastic together.
Um, and we love when those lightbulb go off, like, oh, I do have
the medical support.
I didn't even know, right?
Those are important things.
So those are probably the thesort of top ways I would think
about it.
SPEAKER_00 (43:04):
I so appreciate that.
You mentioned the word holisticearlier, Kim, also, and this is
embracing that.
I think, you know, the the waywe sort of exist right now is
very siloed out, you know, mymental health, my vaginal
health, my uh whatever, mycardiovascular health.
(43:25):
And the truth is that theconversations I think that are
most impactful are the ones thatreally address our whole health
in mind and body and spirit, ifthat's something that resonates.
And um addressing that in theworkplace again, I think helps
employers and employeesrecognize that, as we said
(43:49):
earlier, you are humans, youknow, performing this duty from
whatever hours you work to thehours you go home.
And and you are a whole personthere as well.
And you're not sort of leaving,as I said earlier, you're not
checking your symptoms at thedoor.
They come in with you and theyaffect your mind and your body.
(44:10):
So I so appreciate that, um,Kim.
Um, April, I'll ask you this andthen Kim, if you'd like to
piggyback, that would be great.
Um if if someone in theaudience, April, wanted to start
to take one immediate steptomorrow, where should they
start?
And I I guess I would saywhether you're speaking to an
(44:33):
employee or an employer.
SPEAKER_03 (44:35):
Yeah, yeah.
Um, I I would answer it a littlebit different, um, depending on
whether it's an individual or anorganization.
For organizations, it's simple.
Um, I'd recommend downloadingour free checklist from the
website or taking theself-assessment, whatever you
prefer, whether you want paper,you want to do it online, but to
really take that temperatureread for your organization and
(44:57):
give yourself a roadmap.
By by walking through thatchecklist, um, you're going to
be able to identify what I amdoing well and where are the
gaps.
We um have heard over and overand over again from
organizations that are eithercommitted to or credited with
our membership say, yourchecklist was gold.
(45:17):
It was our starting point.
It really uncovered those areasthat we need to work on and
improve on.
So I would say the checklist,and it's completely free.
So go do it, do it online,download the checklist.
And if you need help, reach outto us.
We can certainly talk youthrough that.
Happy to do that at no charge.
For individuals, I would say um,depending on where you are in
(45:42):
your journey and what it is thatyou need, um, look at our
resource tab on our website.
There are free resourceresources out there that will
help you, whether it'sunderstanding menopause, um,
whether it is finding ahealthcare practitioner, how do
I do that?
Where do I find someone that'squalified that will actually
(46:02):
help me, that will listen to me?
Um, you know, whether Kimmentioned this earlier, if
you're an employee and you wantto take it to your workplace,
there's an entire guide therethat will take you through, you
know, from step one to 10.
What do I say?
Where do I start?
Um, and just make sure that, andyou mentioned this too, Rachel,
that whatever information you'rereading or you're extracting
(46:24):
from online, that it isevidence-based, science-based,
because there's a lot of noisein this space right now.
So find really solid resourcesthat you can trust.
Um, there are a ton out there.
You know, we haven't even talkedabout other free resources.
We could certainly put it inshow notes or what for you, but
there's a lot of um high-qualityresources available.
SPEAKER_01 (46:48):
Terrific.
SPEAKER_03 (46:49):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (46:50):
And I would add, because you said I could.
Yeah, for you.
I would add, what do you alreadyhave in play?
What and and make sure thatpeople know about it from an
organizational perspective.
And from an individualperspective, like, don't suffer.
Okay, get some help.
I'm a client of Alloy.
Go to go get out.
(47:10):
That will take you just a coupleof minutes to get the help that
you need.
And amazing doctors from amedical perspective, but also
understand what's going on andthat you don't have to suffer.
That is the number one thing.
Like, there are ways to feeldifferent.
SPEAKER_00 (47:27):
Absolutely.
Thank you for both of that.
I want to ask you before weclose, and I feel like kind of a
jerk because I I was I wasn't onmy game when we started with
you're asking me questions, butI really should have asked you
to tell us a little bit aboutMedovia.
I think I think anyonelistening, and certainly people
(47:47):
who know you um will know or canfigure it out.
But would you, April, and thenKim, tell us a little bit about
your organization and then tellus where people can find you.
SPEAKER_03 (47:58):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Happy to.
Kim, we we do this well.
Kim likes to fill in where Ileave off.
Okay, okay, great.
Um, I mean, in in simple terms,Medovia comes alongside
organizations and helps them tointegrate menopause into the
fabric of their organization,which leads to that cultural
change.
Um, we do that through ourmembership and accreditation
(48:19):
program, which is the only onein the US.
Um, we partner with our friendsover across the pond in the UK
and Australia.
So it's a global membership andaccreditation program with a
third-party panel that reviewsthose applications.
Um, and then we also havewraparound services.
So we're able to come in anddeliver training.
(48:39):
We have e-learning, we havemasterclasses that we can
provide resources.
Uh, we have menominut, menavideos that are educational,
that many organizations uploadonto their microsites or their
menopause hubs, for example.
Um, and we've even createdmicrosites for organizations
that really don't have anythingexisting in place.
(49:00):
So we like to say that we meetorganizations where they are
because every singleorganization is different.
And and you you talked aboutthis in the very beginning,
Rachel, and I really appreciateit.
I think we often um our go-to isthe corporate office, right?
We we we think about people thatare sitting in offices or
cubicles, but we work withorganizations of all industries,
(49:23):
all sizes, all trades, and eachone is truly unique and
individual and what their needsare and where their starting
point is.
So we meet we meet them wherethey're at.
SPEAKER_01 (49:34):
Kim?
Nope, good job.
I would say you could find us atMedovia, M-I-D-O-V-IA.com.
Uh, we do a lot on LinkedIn, uhMadovia, and we do an Instagram
on uh MyModobia at MyModovia.
So we would love to I would loveto, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (49:52):
I I'm sorry to jump in.
I I I would love to host aconversation with the two of
you.
I think that um the conversationabout around menopause in the
workplace kind of ebbs and flowsa lot, or at least in in my line
of vision, um in the menopausesphere.
Um, and I think that's notright, and and we should keep
(50:14):
talking for absolutely lovethat.
I would love to ask you.
SPEAKER_01 (50:18):
Yeah, we often see where there's articles about the
clinical benefits, and youshould also do these other
things, but nobody says how todo these other things, and
that's what we do.
We do those little things,right?
It's not sexy, no, yeah, wedon't do the sexy work, but it's
great, yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (50:35):
But nobody has to do it, yeah.
Important, important sexy, yeah.
Rachel, where can people findyou?
I don't know that we mentionedyour website or where people oh
that's okay.
SPEAKER_00 (50:45):
I I am really mostly on Instagram.
I jump in and out of LinkedIn.
I'm I'm making it a point to getbetter there because I I know
that it's it's at least aplatform I can manage on like
TikTok.
I I can't wrap my head aroundthere.
Um, but my my personal handle israchel.hughes.midlife.
(51:08):
And um certainly if you're onthe alloy platform, um you can
look out for support groupemails that I run often.
I'll invite one of ourprescribing physicians to join
me for one of those supportgroups so it becomes really like
a clinical hour for the peoplewho are able to come.
Um, certainly you can find myconversations with experts and
(51:32):
physicians, um, thought leaderson our YouTube channel.
It's uh Alloy Women's Health onYouTube.
And if you are following Alloy'sInstagram, you'll see me as you
scroll in their clips and thingsfrom conversations.
But it's it's my most umfavorite thing to do is to to
(51:54):
speak to women who are, youknow, going through it, what
whatever sort of season of lifethey're in.
We're we're all uh I have a realheart to support others how I
can, and I'm super curious andalways want to learn from people
who know so much more than I doabout anything.
So it would be my pleasure tospeak with you over on the
(52:16):
alley.
SPEAKER_01 (52:17):
We would love it.
We would love it.
So we're posting this both as awebinar and as a Medovia
podcast.
And so we ask all of our guestsat the end of our podcast,
what's the best piece of adviceyou've ever received?
SPEAKER_00 (52:31):
Oh, that I've ever received.
Um you know, I I I receivedgreat advice.
I haven't always taken it.
SPEAKER_02 (52:42):
And it's I didn't say take it.
I just received it.
You have to take it.
SPEAKER_00 (52:48):
I have to take it.
But it's interesting because nowin midlife, I'm feeling much
more comfortable taking thatadvice.
And that advice is to just sayyes more and just say no more.
And you know, if you have a gutthat sort of is good at
intuiting what the yeses are andwhat the no's are, you can
(53:09):
really seize life, I think, in away that um we we hope that we
would.
Um, so it took me a long time toget to the place where I felt
like, you know what, I'm justgonna go do that.
Or you know, that is really notmy thing, and I'm okay about
that.
I don't have to apologize aboutit.
And that's exceptionallyrewarding and um particularly
(53:33):
special right now, this seasonof life for me.
It's empowering.
SPEAKER_03 (53:37):
Yeah, I love that.
Um, and so so true.
You get to the stage and youfeel comfortable saying, I feel
more comfortable saying no thanyes.
So I'll work, but yeah, no, andyeah, isn't it like, oh god,
that felt good.
SPEAKER_00 (53:55):
I could do I might do that all day.
SPEAKER_03 (53:57):
I might do that.
Exactly.
And I feel happy and I can behappy, right?
Yeah, I love that.
Yeah, so thank you for that.
Well, Rachel, it's been a realpleasure having you with us
today.
Thanks so much for spending thetime and sharing your knowledge.
And let's continue theconversation because I think we
could probably talk for hours.
SPEAKER_00 (54:17):
I think so.
I I really loved it.
I just love speaking with bothof you.
Thank you so much for having me.
Thank you so much.
Of course.
SPEAKER_03 (54:23):
Um, everyone that's listening and watching, go find
joy in the journey until we meetagain.
Thanks everybody.
Thank you for listening to theMedovia Menopause podcast.
If you enjoyed today's show,please give it a thumbs up,
subscribe for future episodes,leave a review, and share this
(54:45):
episode with a friend.
Modovia is out to change thenarrative.
Learn more at Medovia.com.
That's M I D O V I A.com.
Welcome to the Medovia Menopause Podcast, your
trusted source for informationabout menopause and midlife.
Join us each episode as we havegreat conversations with great
people.
Tune in and enjoy the show.
SPEAKER_01 (00:17):
Hello, everyone.
Welcome to our final session ofour four-part webinar series in
recognition of MenopauseAwareness Month.
I can't believe we only have afew more weeks left, but we're
proud to bring this importantconversation to life through a
partnership between AlloyHealth, a leader in
evidence-based menopause careand telehealth solutions, and
Medovia, the U.S.
(00:38):
workplace leader in menopauseand midlife health.
And throughout this series,we've been breaking down the
myths, sharing the latestscience, and highlighting real
experiences of women navigatingperimenopause, menopause, and
beyond.
And our goal is simple.
Together, we want to replace thesilence with knowledge, empower
women to advocate forthemselves, and give
(00:59):
organizations the tools thatthey need to build supportive
cultures.
Together, Alloy Health andMedovia are working to change
the way menopause and franklythis stage of life is understood
in healthcare, in the workplace,and in society.
So thank you for joining us aswe open the door to honest,
informed, and hopefulconversations.
So today, we're addressingmenopause at work, why every
(01:23):
employer should care.
And April and I are joined byRachel Hughes.
Rachel is the community managerat Alloy Women's Health, where
she helps bridge the gap betweenwomen seeking answers and the
science-backed solutions thatsupport their well-being.
Rachel's career spans dance,education, nutritional
counseling, and more than adecade of working with chronic
(01:44):
pain patients.
Her personal experience withPerimenopause led her to become
a passionate advocate andeducator, launching Perry Talks
and hosting the PerryPPerimenopause what sorry, I'll
use the acronym WTH podcast.
I really wanted to say it, youguys, but I know it's okay.
(02:07):
That helped grow from the Periapp to the number one menopause
community platform.
And at Alloy, Rachel now leadswebinars and community programs
that empower women with clarity,connection, and expert hormonal
care.
We're doing a new thing today orsomething we all haven't tried.
We're going to co-facilitate.
So Medovia will ask Rachelquestions and then Rachel will
(02:30):
ask Medovia questions, but we'resuper excited.
Rachel, welcome, welcome to thewebinar.
SPEAKER_00 (02:35):
Thank you so much for having me.
It's an absolute pleasure to bewith you.
SPEAKER_01 (02:39):
We're excited.
So Alloy's mission has been toclose the gap in menopause care.
What are you hearing most oftenfrom women about how their
workplace experience intersectswith their health?
SPEAKER_00 (02:53):
What I hear again and again is that menopause
doesn't clock out when you go towork.
Women talk about brain fogduring meetings, poor sleep that
bleeds into focus, or hotflashes that make them feel
exposed or embarrassed in frontof colleagues.
But what really comes through isthe silence around it.
(03:14):
And that silence shows upeverywhere.
So not just in corporateoffices, but in classrooms,
hospitals, kitchens, factories,hotels, um, teachers trying to
keep it together in front ofstudents, nurses on double
shifts, women on their feet andhospitality or retail, whatever
it is.
Um, women are all navigatingsymptoms while trying to do
(03:35):
their jobs.
And I would say that whatgenerally starts to shift is a
moment of candor.
So one person saying, This iswhat's happening to me is where
connection and culture sort ofcollide and change can begin.
And I will tell you that when Iwas working um with chronic pain
patients, I was probably in myearly 40s and I was really sort
(04:00):
of in my um perimenopausal peakuh and doing very poorly.
I was really struggling mentallyand physically, and I was making
mistakes in the office, and itwas difficult, it was scary, I
worried about keeping my job.
Um, and I it actually took amoment with a patient who had
(04:24):
come into the office whoseappointment I had screwed up.
And she said, Oh, it happens tome all the time.
And I said, I feel like I just Icannot remember.
I can't remember from the time,you know, I walk to the end of
the door that I'm supposed to dosomething else when I get back
and whatever it is.
And she said, Oh, I know it, youknow, yeah, it's it's
(04:45):
perimenopause, it's yourhormones.
And and we sort of had a goodlaugh and a good, you know,
moment of camaraderie, but italso sort of freed me up to then
go to the people I was workingwith in office and say, hey, I
think this is happening to me.
And I don't want to make too biga deal about it.
I don't really know about it.
Um, do you?
(05:06):
And can we be in lockstep abouthow I'm doing because I don't
want to lose my job and I don'twant to sort of ruin your time
and space here.
SPEAKER_03 (05:16):
It's such a brave thing, though, um, for you to do
that.
And there, and I'm sure we'llunpack that in our conversation
today when we flip the scriptand you start asking us
questions.
But um, you know, we hear thatoften that it's not a safe space
for people.
And unless you have the culturalchange and normalize the
conversation in the workplace,that employees aren't asking for
(05:38):
that support.
So um grave actually at thatpoint in time, if you think
about where Menopause was whenyou had that conversation.
And, you know, I think a lot ofwomen um don't ask for help.
They suffer in silence becausethey fear that conversation or
losing their job.
And I know Alloy um justrecently published insights um
(06:02):
about the cost of untreatedmenopause from that missed work
day to the higher medical spend.
And I'm wondering if you canshare some of the data or
stories that surprised you themost from that information and
that data.
SPEAKER_00 (06:15):
Yeah, great question.
Thank you.
Um, the number that reallystruck me is really about how
far the ripple effect goes.
Um, that untreated menopausedoesn't just lead to
absenteeism, it leads topresenteism.
So women are showing up but notoperating at their best because
they're exhausted, anxious, orfoggy brained.
(06:36):
Um you're right, the storiesbehind the data are the ones
that stay with me.
I've spoken to women who've leftjobs because they couldn't name
what was happening, um, otherswho spent months or even years
seeking help from specialist tospecialist, using up sick days,
spending money, um, and stillnot getting an answer.
(06:57):
Um it's heartbreaking mainlybecause it's all preventable, I
think.
And when we connect the dotsbetween cost and care, both
financial and emotional, thecase for treating menopause as a
public health and workplaceissue becomes undeniable.
Um the data actually looked up abit because I I don't I didn't
exactly know where we are in themoment versus where we've been
(07:22):
just most recently.
But apparently the average USworking woman spends roughly
8,000 days in the perimenopauseto menopause transition.
More than half of those womensay that their symptoms do
interfere with their jobperformance.
Menopause costs United Statesemployers about$18 billion a
year in absenteeism, which isstaggering.
(07:43):
Um, and companies, and this iswhat's so important and hopeful,
that companies that offereducation and flexibility see up
to 40% lower turnover amongmidlife employees.
So to me, that's just anincredible signal that when
women are supported, everyonebenefits productivity benefits,
retention benefits, moralebenefits.
(08:04):
And that's really something thatwe see firsthand at Alloy, where
education and access to care umconsistently translate to women
staying engaged in their workand in their lives.
unknown (08:16):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (08:17):
Well, one of the things that I love that I've
learned actually through thispodcast series is that you've
got great community networks offolks that come together.
And I know, and I'm sure youjust like us, Rachel.
I'm sure anytime you get in aroom and say, This is what I
work in the menopause space,everyone wants to tell you their
(08:38):
story, right?
Because finally someone mightlisten and understand to what
I'm going through, but becausegosh, it's lonely.
And um, I had an appointmentthis morning with this woman in
Perry Menopause, and she wasjust like, I feel like I'm going
crazy.
And I'm like, What are youdoing?
And where are you finding yourpeople?
Like, let's talk about this alittle bit.
(08:58):
But for your communityconversations are huge in terms
of the intel that you'regetting, and you probably heard
a lot about what women wishtheir employers would do to help
support them.
What have you heard in terms ofwhat they wish they had?
Because I love yourconversation.
Like, do you know anything aboutthis?
(09:18):
Because I don't know anythingabout this.
I was, you know, that's that'sreal honest, right?
But what do you what do theywish employers understood about
menopause and where areemployers' biggest blind spots
when it comes to supportingwomen?
SPEAKER_00 (09:32):
Thank you for this question.
I hear from women a lot insupport groups um that they are
feeling a lack of support.
And certainly in the workplace,this is um painfully significant
to their livelihoods.
So it's a it's a big, it's a bigdeal.
Um I think mostly women wishtheir employers understood that
(09:54):
menopause isn't a niche or awomen's issue.
Um it's a workforce issue.
We know nearly half theworkforce will experience it,
often in their peak careeryears.
Um in the US, I believe it'ssomething 80% of the workforce
over the age of 40 or betweenthe ages of 40 and 54, I believe
(10:15):
it is, are women.
And one in 10 of them willconsider leaving their jobs
because of menopausal symptoms.
And by the time these women are55 to 64 years old, that
workforce number drops tosomething like 60%.
So the problem isn't capability.
Um, symptoms like brain fog,fatigue, or insomnia affect
focus and confidence, as westated, but it doesn't affect
(10:38):
intelligence or ambition.
Um, other countries we knowwe've seen the UK, Australia,
Canada, have already enactednational workplace menopause
policies.
And here in the in the US, youknow, the work you guys are
certainly doing helps to sort ofhelp us here remain committed to
this conversation.
(10:59):
Um I would say it's important tomention that the blind spot is
assuming that this is somethingthat happens to executives
behind closed doors.
It's happening everywhere, as Imentioned to teachers,
healthcare workers, uh,workhouse supervise, warehouse
supervisors, line cooks,baristas, bus drivers.
So support might look differentin each setting.
(11:20):
It could be schedule flexibilityor access to
temperature-controlled spaces,or even just the grace to step
away for a moment, which is theexperience that I had.
But it starts the same wayeverywhere, right?
With awareness and empathy.
And what women tell me more thananything is that they want to be
(11:40):
seen not as less capable orfragile, but as whole people
navigating this very normal lifestage while still delivering
tremendous value at work.
Um, and I think part of whatwomen ask for is access to care.
And what I will often recommendis listing things out, whether
(12:00):
it's your symptoms that you thentake to your doctor's
appointment or it's yourstrategy list.
And on that list should be toschedule a visit with a
menopause specialist.
So beyond workplace flexibility,sometimes the biggest relief
doesn't come from policy, itcomes from treatment.
And many women don't realizethat they are indeed excellent
(12:20):
candidates for hormone therapy,which can dramatically improve
so many of their symptoms, amongthem focus, lack of sleep,
overall well-being.
So, yes, you can ask for theflexible hours or environmental
changes, but you really deserveclinical guidance.
Um, and there's just so muchresearch out there.
We know that MHT is the mosteffective treatment for
(12:42):
menopausal symptoms and hasextra benefits as well.
SPEAKER_03 (12:46):
Yeah.
Access to care is so criticalfor women to get the help that
they need so that they canreturn to the workplace, right?
That that's ultimately what wewant is for women not to suffer
and to be able to return to theworkplace or stay in the
workplace so that those numbersdecrease, right?
Um, of women leaving.
Um, I want to I want to ask thisquestion because it's um it's
(13:08):
something that Kim and I banterback and forth about all the
time.
And I'm curious um to know whatyour answer is.
You you um mentioned that manyemployers start off by adding a
benefit, a menopause benefit,but you've said before that
that's only one piece of thepuzzle.
So can you expand on that andtell us what else, in your
(13:28):
opinion, is needed to make realchange?
SPEAKER_00 (13:30):
Sure.
Um, so I, you know, first ofall, let me just say benefits
are uh a fantastic startingpoint, but they're not the full
picture.
A menopause benefit will givewomen access to care, hopefully,
which is crucial.
But real change happens when theculture shifts along with the
policy.
So employers can make a hugedifference with very simple
(13:52):
steps like um formalizing amenopause or health transition
policy.
So women don't have to startfrom scratch asking what's
allowed, um, educating managersand staff.
So menopause becomes normalizedrather than stigmatized.
So trainings, awarenesssessions, internal
communications.
I think offering flexible workarrangements sounds great.
(14:15):
But in reality, you know, remoteoptions exist and maybe sort of
the key to a woman's umtransition for some time.
Um, shift adjustments or laterstart times, especially during
the heavier symptom phases.
Adjusting the physicalenvironment comes up a lot,
better temperature control.
I think that's a tough one, youknow, if you're in an office
(14:37):
with 200 people and sort ofdemanding that the temperature
be below 65 degrees, somepushback.
Um, but you know, it's aconversation perhaps in your
workplace uh it is uh accessibleto you.
I think monitoring workplaceculture, are women safe to speak
up?
Are leaders modeling empathy,are peer support groups, or like
(14:59):
menopause champions, sisters inplace?
And importantly, I think linkingmenopause support to business
outcomes like retention,engagement, and innovation,
because it's not justwell-being, it's good
leadership.
So that means training managersto lead with understanding,
(15:20):
revising HR language, ensuringthat every employee from the
break room to the boardroomfeels comfortable naming what
they're experiencing.
And again, remembering that it'snot limited to corporate spaces.
You know, there's a platform outof the UK UK that I I had a
chance to observe here in theUnited States called Over the
(15:41):
Bloody Moon.
And you know, are you familiarwith her?
Fantastic.
And she created this um thisvest that I can't remember the
the cat.
Um and I had an opportunity towatch her in action here in a
New York company, and it wasfascinating.
So she gave the vest to two menwho were both um, you know,
(16:05):
higher up in the company.
And I think it was like an hour,maybe two, that they went off.
You know, everyone went on.
We had we gathered, we talked,we talked about the vest.
Then the two men put on the vestand had the experience of random
hot flashes for let's just sayit was two hours.
And then we all gathered backagain and talked about it.
And I have to say, it was such aperfect example of culture
(16:29):
change not starting with policy.
It starts with people talkingand learning and realizing that
they're not alone.
And finally, I mean, I wouldjust say, you know, I'd add
again that one piece that reallymatters is speaking with a
menopause trained practitioner.
I bang this drum a lot, but youknow, the clinicians, for
example, that we have at Alloy,because the truth is if you're
(16:51):
experiencing symptoms, you are acandidate for menopause hormonal
therapy.
It can make all the differencefor you personally and
professionally.
Um so yeah, that's what I wouldthrow in there.
SPEAKER_01 (17:03):
Well, I totally agree with all that.
I mean, I know.
I'm shaking my head like, yep,no, you're gonna have to take my
hormone patch out.
I'm speaking in a choir here.
Yeah, no, I love it.
But I love that you talk aboutleadership and culture.
And you gave a really goodexample of uh the executives
wearing the menovest, which isseems like a funny thing, but
(17:25):
you know, you're actually in thelived experience there.
Do you have other examples inyour mind where leadership
really made the difference tohelp, you know, help change the
culture and help people withborn with ovaries feel
comfortable in the workplace?
SPEAKER_00 (17:40):
Yeah, I would say, you know, we we the word
leadership suggests someoneabove us, and that isn't always
the case.
Leadership doesn't always meansomeone with a title.
Um, sometimes it's the team leadwho checks in quietly, or the
shift supervisor who advocatesfor a fan or flexible
scheduling, or just thecolleague who says, you know,
(18:02):
I've been there too.
Um, I think when leaders at anylevel model empathy, they give
everyone else permission tofollow.
And that's when the culturereally starts to evolve.
I would say again, at uh atAlloy, that's been true from the
start.
Our founders built this companyon transparency.
They've always led with honestyabout their own experiences and
(18:25):
a deep respect for women'shealth is essential, not
optional.
Um, as well is so importantly asa deep belief that women deserve
evidence-based care and respectat every stage of life.
So, you know, the workplacesthat get this right understand
something quite simple butprofound that leadership is less
(18:47):
about hierarchy and more abouttone.
Um, and the tone that says,like, this is a place where
you're allowed to be human.
Um, so yeah, that's that'sallowed to be human, right?
SPEAKER_03 (19:00):
Allowed to be human.
Yeah, I love that.
And we are all human, we're allso different, but I think
storytelling is really importanttoo.
So thank you for bringing thatup.
I think um we've seen it in thework that we do.
When we share our stories, Kimand mine and Kim's stories are
so completely different, but um,when we share those stories,
you're right.
It it just sets the tone foreveryone else in the room.
(19:22):
So you create a safe space.
Yeah, like, oh my gosh, Ithought I was the only one,
right?
SPEAKER_00 (19:28):
Yes, and and that really is the thing that if you
know, if you're listening tothis and you're going through
it, I would say like pick onecrack in the door that you can
find and go through it.
You know, maybe it's schedulinga conversation with your manager
or a lunch with a friend or umtalking to your doctor, simply
(19:50):
you know, giving yourself creditfor for how much you're already
caring.
Um, the truth is you don't haveto white knuckle your way
through this season.
You deserve care, you deservesupport, you deserve to feel
like yourself again, and youdeserve to sort of walk through
this um safely and confidentlyin your workspace as well.
(20:13):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (20:13):
I'm so surprised how many people I still talk to are
like, I just I feel terrible.
And I'm like, well, what do youdo?
What are you doing?
And they're like, well, nothingyet.
SPEAKER_00 (20:21):
And I'm like, yeah, I know it's incredible.
The number of women, I believeit's still it's like between
four and five percent is thenumber of women who are taking
advantage of MHT.
And I know for black women,brown women, Native women, that
number is closer to two percent.
(20:43):
Um, so there is still an amazingamount of misinformation, yes,
but I think also, you know, usGen Xers are sort of the last
generation, I think, of womenwho will walk in blindly, more
or less, to this season of life.
And so there's still there'sthis sort of like transition
(21:05):
phase, right?
We're we're we are we know we'reimpacted by the lack of stories,
the lack of information, or thepoor stories of the past.
And we're getting the truth andwe're getting the amplification
of what's real now.
So our daughters and so on andso on will have an easier time.
(21:25):
But this time is is very tender,I think, and precious and and
impressionable.
And so, all the more reason foryou know, the work that you do,
the work that we do at Alloy,the the midlife women who are
just coming out and sharingtheir stories and like cracking
wider those cracks in the spacesand saying, you know, me too, me
(21:45):
too.
This is happening, this is real,you know, I'm not crazy, you're
not crazy.
All of that just helps to buoyall of us.
SPEAKER_01 (21:53):
Yeah, totally.
And we get up every morningbecause we don't want our
daughters to have to go throughthis, right?
SPEAKER_03 (21:59):
Yeah, yeah, it's true.
That my daughter has all thebooks.
Yes, 25 books looking at thebookshelf right now, like she
knows.
Um I have a son who's okay.
SPEAKER_00 (22:13):
So I'll just say, like, the daughters is is
wonderful, but the sons too, youknow, they they should be a part
of the conversation, they willbe more and more.
And I I feel very happy that Ihave uh a son who just got
married and he'll you know be abe a wonderful partner to his
wife now, in addition, you know,in this stage of her life when
(22:37):
they get there.
SPEAKER_01 (22:38):
Yeah.
My daughter's boyfriend knowsmore about menopause than I
think any other 20-year-old hasa right to.
SPEAKER_02 (22:45):
That's amazing.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (22:47):
It's important, it's really though.
I just um I really want to stopand just emphasize what what
both of you just said, though,because it's so important to
have males a part of thisconversation and to educate so
that they understand whetherwhether you're managing people,
whether you're a colleague atwork, whether you're a spouse, a
partner, a brother, you know, itit's just important for them to
(23:09):
understand what we're goingthrough.
Um, and we won't necessarilytalk about vaginal health today,
but that's huge.
And for males to understand ifyou're in a relationship with
someone that's going throughmenopause, it's critical that
they understand what's going onbecause it can cause
relationship difficulties.
So education, education,education, right?
SPEAKER_00 (23:32):
I'm so glad you brought that up.
And and just to close the loopon that point, you know, to this
conversation, that younger mentoday will be well versed in
this conversation as they enterworkspaces and what a difference
that will make for the women whoare going through this season of
life, um, that they will havesupport not only from their
(23:55):
female colleagues, but fromtheir male colleagues who will
say, Yeah, my mom, you know,yeah, my sister, yeah, my wife.
And, you know, can you imaginethe the culture of any office
space that had that reallythreaded into it?
It changes everything.
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_03 (24:11):
It changes everything.
Yeah.
Well, we're gonna switch gearsnow.
Um, as we noted at thebeginning, we're gonna flip the
script and we're gonna hand themicrophone over to you to ask us
questions um about theworkplace.
So I'm gonna let you take itfrom here and let's talk
workplace.
SPEAKER_00 (24:29):
This is exciting.
Thank you for allowing me thespace to do.
SPEAKER_01 (24:33):
It's fun.
SPEAKER_00 (24:33):
Yeah, this is fun.
So, Medovia, ladies, um, youhave helped companies move from
awareness to accreditation.
What's the biggest hurdle thatorgas organizations face when
starting this journey?
And I don't know if you'd bothlike to answer or if I can call
on April 1st and then I'll takeit.
SPEAKER_03 (24:54):
Okay, happy to.
Yeah.
Um, I I love this questionactually.
The the biggest hurdle that wesee with organizations is the
implementation.
It's moving from intention toimplementation.
Most organizations, I think,truly want to support employees
through menopause, but they'renot always sure where to start.
(25:15):
That's the most difficult piece.
Um, some organizations mightstart with a policy, um, they
might update their guidancedocument, they might host a
one-off awareness session, butthat often means that employees
don't know that the policyexists or it isn't a living and
breathing document, or it looksgood on paper, but the culture
(25:36):
hasn't changed that we've beentalking about here.
And it might not feel safe.
You know, we use safe a lot inconversations.
Um, without that culture change,it might not feel safe to talk
about menopause or to speak toyour manager about the support
that you need.
And if organizations begin witha one-off training session
(25:57):
without a well-laid out plan fornext steps, it can often leave
employees with more questionsthan answers.
Or managers, right?
They they don't, we've had thistraining, and now I'm receiving
questions from my employees, andI don't know how to answer them.
I don't know how to continue theconversation with employees.
(26:17):
Or we have employees who aregoing through menopause who feel
really frustrated or fearfulthat they're going to be looked
at as unproductive, incapable.
And you mentioned that earlierin our conversation, Rachel.
That's the last thing we want todo.
So if I come in and I tell, youknow, um a whole organization
(26:41):
that women or people born withovaries can experience 34
menopause symptoms up to, right?
Um, brain fog, loss ofconcentration, or fatigue.
What message does that send tomy manager if I haven't trained
all levels of the organizationto ensure that they understand
that this isn't a deathsentence?
(27:02):
Right.
We're human beings and we'rejust moving through this normal
stage of life.
And I say normal becausesometimes we're moving through
it not naturally, but surgicallyor medically induced.
But it's just a normal stage oflife that we need additional
support, perhaps.
We need access to care thatwe've talked about.
And then I can return to theworkplace or stay in the
(27:24):
workplace, and I'm able toperform at my peak.
And the same holds true in thehome as well.
So, what we've seen is if youhave a well-laid out plan, once
leaders are able to take thatfirst step and opening up the
conversation, listening toemployees and using that
structured framework to guidethe process, everything changes.
(27:47):
Um, you know, we see confidencebuild in employees and managers,
HR professionals.
We see awareness grow andincrease, and those
conversations shift from weshould do something to we're
proud to be menopause friendly,right?
SPEAKER_00 (28:02):
I love that.
That's really where we wantthem.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Of course, of course.
I love that you highlight alllevels of an organization.
Uh, you're reminding me of aconversation I had with my
college roommate, who's anattorney now, and we were
talking about menopause in theworkplace.
And she was saying that she hadsomeone working under her who
(28:23):
was really struggling, and itwas probably perimenopause.
But the best she could offer herwas time off for mental health
support.
And she was sort of like, Idon't know how to make this
better here.
And you know, I don't know whatto do, and I don't even know if
I should talk to her about it.
So I'm thinking about that, youknow, just sort of the expanding
(28:45):
the conversation this way andthis way, right?
Absolutely, right?
SPEAKER_03 (28:49):
It's just and usually it does start with um
senior leadership and HR andmanagers and supervisors, so
that they're at the ready,right?
We want them at the ready andcomfortable and they know what
to say and they know where tosign post resources.
They understand internally whatresources are available to
support employees.
(29:10):
What's what is that roadmap,right?
What is my guidance?
Um, where do I go?
Where can I, where can I go,right?
Where are my guardrails, Iguess, is the best way to put
that.
It makes them feel so much moreconfident.
So that when you train youremployees, you're ready.
unknown (29:25):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (29:25):
And there's research that shows that employers that
most employers who don't haveanything for menopause, it's
because nobody asked formenopause support in the work.
Right.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (29:36):
So a real oversight at this point.
SPEAKER_01 (29:39):
If you're just sitting around assuming that
your employer doesn't care aboutwhether you're going through
menopause or not, don't assumethat unless you've asked for it
and you, you know, you didn'tget the resources that that you
needed.
So, and on our website, we havea whole page for people of how
to bring it up at work, right?
How to talk about it with yourHR team or with your leaders
around how to provide.
(30:00):
More support.
So I think that's an importantthing to keep in mind here that
organizations want to retain youand they want to have a good
culture.
SPEAKER_00 (30:09):
But if nobody's glad you brought that up, Kim, that's
such a good point.
I want to ask you both at theend where we can all find you
and learn.
But um, Kim, I do want to askfor organizations without big
budgets, what are the simplest,most meaningful steps to begin
supporting menopause at work?
SPEAKER_01 (30:29):
Yeah, and we've talked about some of these
already.
Like just start theconversation, right?
Just mention menopause and yournewsletters and your internal
communications, like normalizethe topic.
Help HR really be able to havethe conversation so that you can
have inclusive language thatincludes everyone in this space.
Um there we have a checklist onour website that says what does
(30:51):
it mean to be menopausefriendly?
And we're very specific on whatthat looks like.
What have you done in yourculture to help um to help
advance this conversation?
You mentioned training managers.
It you know, that's notexpensive.
And that would retain theretention fee that you would
gain from not losing someone ishuge.
(31:12):
So having managers have thatinformation, you know, look at
the current existing resourcesthat you already have.
I and I I am surprised everytime when I am giving a training
and employees are like, I didn'tknow we had that benefit, right?
Right?
We didn't I didn't know that wehad this as a so look at your
(31:33):
current.
Do you have a flexible workenvironment?
Do you have mental healthpolicies?
Do you have an EAP program?
Do you have, you know, PTO thatpeople can use?
Like look at what you already dohave and really communicate that
this is this is something thatcan help support you.
Then employee resource groups.
Lots of employers have employeeresource groups or internal peer
(31:56):
circles that really help withthose conversations.
And you know, they're not alwaysthere.
Some of them are women atwhatever the employer is, some
of them are have funny acronymsthat what did we hear yesterday?
College.
The College Club.
Yeah, I never looked at that onebefore.
And like, I love that one.
Yeah.
Um, those are no cost.
(32:18):
In fact, I know Accenture had awomen's menopause group that was
very active and vibrant aroundthe world, and it had no budget.
So I think there are ways to toshare that information um in
affiliate groups and invite themen to come too so that they can
easy.
Acknowledge things like WorldMenopause Day and Perimenopause
(32:40):
Month, like invite a speaker orpost an article or share stories
of people that are navigating itto sort of normalize the
conversation.
We always say that find out whatyour employees want, right?
Gather that feedback, help youunderstand what the employees
need to sort of be comfortablein that environment and then
(33:02):
make those changes and add morethings over time as it allows.
But the cost savings, and wehave a calculator on our website
that people can look at what thecost savings is or what the cost
is of doing nothing, right?
How many people do you have inyour organization?
How many women do you have ofthis age group?
(33:24):
This is what it would cost youif you do nothing.
And it's steep.
So it doesn't need to be costly,but the return on investment is
high, whatever it is that youwould want to spend.
So I think employers can startsmall, it doesn't have to cost a
lot of money, and people willfeel more loyal to their company
(33:45):
because you care about theirwhole health.
SPEAKER_00 (33:48):
That's such a good point that women who are going
through this transition willfeel more loyal and more aligned
with their employer when theyfeel that their employer is
taking care of them.
And the lift of that is prettyminor, whether it's, you know,
(34:08):
once a quarter lunch or, youknow, once a quarter speaker,
whatever it is, you know, whenwhen you're talking about either
the sort of your bottom line oryour um your employee health, it
it really becomes pretty starkthat one does not cost a lot at
all.
And the benefit is sosignificant.
(34:30):
I love that.
Those are terrible suggestions.
Um, April, I'm gonna ask youthis next question.
Um, how do you help leadersconnect menopause to measurable
outcomes like engagement andretention?
We touched on this a bit, but ifyou want to blow it out some
more, that would be great.
SPEAKER_03 (34:48):
Yeah, yeah, I'm happy to.
And we get this question a lot.
Um, you know, typically this iswhere organizations start.
They want the data.
Give me the numbers, give me thedata.
I need to prove that this issomething that my organization
can afford.
We want to see the return on theinvestment.
Kim, you just said return oninvestment.
Um, you know, we we like tobelieve that we help leaders
(35:09):
within organizations connect,connect the culture to data.
So we translate the culture intodata.
In other words, we start withlistening to employees.
Kim, you said this.
Um, listen to employees, surveyyour employees.
We recommend that they startthere.
Start early on and gatheringthat honest feedback and then
(35:31):
act on what you hear.
Monitoring that feedbackregularly is really essential
because your employees will tellyou whether your programming is
working or not.
And if we don't start bysurveying our employees early
on, we're just makingassumptions.
I'm, you know, I like to thinkabout it as like throwing that
spaghetti on the wall to see ifit sticks, right?
That's essentially what we'redoing.
(35:52):
So um ask, ask your employees,survey your employees.
Right now, most of theinformation that organizations
have is anecdotal becausethey're not measuring it
internally, right?
So we are asking, we have data,but we don't have data because
organizations haven'tnecessarily implemented that or
(36:13):
included that in part of theirKPIs, for example, and things
that they're measuring.
Um, so part of the reason um isthat you can't go from zero to a
hundred overnight.
You first have to putprogramming into place that
begins to change the culture tocreate the safe place.
That's the safe word again,where employees feel comfortable
(36:35):
being open about menopause andtalking about their experiences
that we've mentioned.
And only then I feel that youcan go deeper where you can
actually put on your um surveys,are you missing work because of
menopause symptoms?
You know, why are you takingtime off work?
Is it because you'reexperiencing menopause symptoms
(36:55):
or hot flashes?
You can't ask that in theforefront without creating that
culture.
And then once that trust andthat framework is put into
place, the data becomesincredibly powerful.
We help organizations trackabsenteeism, retention, and that
employee satisfaction over time.
And it's real, um, those are keymetrics.
(37:18):
It tells a real clear story whenyou can look at those
measurables within yourorganization.
SPEAKER_00 (37:26):
I bet you've had several of, oh wow, I didn't
realize that kind of post-surveyconversations.
SPEAKER_03 (37:33):
Absolutely.
I mean, just even surveying, wecan um kind of dip our toe in
the water when we're um hostingawareness training sessions for
organizations and we try tosurvey as much as we can.
Even that small amount of datathat we extract from those
training sessions is prettypowerful.
And organizations, Kim, I'm sureyou would agree, they're just
(37:55):
shocked at the information thatcomes out.
Um it's that's my favoriteactually, to do sessions.
And then you you survey and yourchat blows up and your the light
bulb goes on for your HRprofessionals and your executive
leaders because they had noidea.
But again, we've created thatsafe space for people to ask
(38:16):
questions where they feel thisis normal, other people are
experiencing it.
I'm okay, it's okay to share.
Um, and then of course, thosesurveys are anonymous and and
there's no fear that they'regonna lose their jobs or they're
gonna be out.
And so you have this data andyou provide it to employers, and
then you can begin to build thatprogramming, normalizing the
(38:38):
conversation, and then you godeeper and you build that into
your existing, um, you know,like I said, your KPIs and your
measurements, whatever thatlooks like for your
organization.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (38:48):
I feel like excited hearing about it because I I
have no doubt that the work youdo in sort of like starting up
here and going deeper, deeper,deeper, um, then becomes sort of
this very engaged, um,enlightened community, corporate
community environment wherepeople are like, we can do this.
(39:09):
This is not a big deal.
And suddenly there's a whole newconversation happening in a
place that wouldn't havewhispered about it.
That must be done.
SPEAKER_03 (39:18):
It's really exciting.
Yeah, exciting, especially tosee the men come along too.
Yeah, it's always so incrediblyempowering to see that.
Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (39:27):
And there's no doubt they're taking that home, which
is also Oh, 100% right.
SPEAKER_03 (39:32):
Yeah, we I always share.
Um, we hosted a couple ofsessions at the Pacific
Northwest Dental Conferenceearlier this spring, and the the
practice owner sessions that weran afterwards, there were, I
don't know, Kim, maybe 10, 10people lined up to talk to us.
Every single one of them wasmale.
Yeah.
Oh, that's amazing.
(39:53):
How can I help my wife?
How can I help my spouse?
You know, even beyond the theirtheir practices.
Yeah, they were really concernedabout their wives and they had
no idea.
And so it really is rewardingfor everyone.
SPEAKER_00 (40:07):
Absolutely.
Oh, I'd love to hear it.
Um, Kim, I'm gonna pose thisnext question to you.
All right.
Um, we're seeing more employersadd menopause benefits or
clinical solutions, but as we'vespoken about, that doesn't alone
create a supportive environment.
Um, how do you explain whyclinical benefits aren't enough
(40:28):
and why culture change isimperative to real impact?
SPEAKER_01 (40:33):
Yeah, that's a great question.
Menopause is not just a medicalissue, it's a workplace culture
issue.
If when women get support duringthis time from a medical
perspective, it's great, but ifthey're treated differently when
those symptoms appear or notsupported as they're trying to
work through this, shame,silence, um, or a
(40:57):
misunderstanding can driveabsenteeism, it can drive
performance dips, or even youknow, the data of one in 10
women thinking about leave leavethe workforce.
So no benefit can solve thatwithout culture change.
I think that access doesn'tequal comfort.
Even when benefits exist, womenwon't use them for fear of being
(41:18):
judged or overlooked for apromotion.
So making the culture feel safeso that you can do those things
is that happening?
You know, I always think thatclinical care supports the body,
but the culture supports theperson, the person that comes to
work every day.
And education, empathy, flexiblepractices, feel like you belong
(41:41):
or are included with where youare in your life, makes such a
big difference.
You know, data shows that whenawareness um improves retention,
so it shows measurablereductions in absenteeism and
turnover when the medicalunderstanding is a pair is
(42:01):
paired, sorry, with theorganizational action like
training, like an open dialogue,like we've talked about, like
manager support.
So I think for me, in short,that clinical benefits treat the
symptoms, which is fantastic andyou need them.
And like we've talked about, weare all big fans of that work,
but culture changes andtransforms the experience that
(42:25):
you're having in the workplace.
So for us, it's a differencebetween sort of checking the box
and changing lives so thatpeople feel supported and um
want we want them to stay in theworkplace.
Ageism is still out there,right?
Yeah, for sure.
As long as we can support peoplein that space and make sure that
we they've got both benefits andthe support in the organization,
(42:48):
it pairs fantastic together.
Um, and we love when those lightbulb go off, like, oh, I do have
the medical support.
I didn't even know, right?
Those are important things.
So those are probably the thesort of top ways I would think
about it.
SPEAKER_00 (43:04):
I so appreciate that.
You mentioned the word holisticearlier, Kim, also, and this is
embracing that.
I think, you know, the the waywe sort of exist right now is
very siloed out, you know, mymental health, my vaginal
health, my uh whatever, mycardiovascular health.
(43:25):
And the truth is that theconversations I think that are
most impactful are the ones thatreally address our whole health
in mind and body and spirit, ifthat's something that resonates.
And um addressing that in theworkplace again, I think helps
employers and employeesrecognize that, as we said
(43:49):
earlier, you are humans, youknow, performing this duty from
whatever hours you work to thehours you go home.
And and you are a whole personthere as well.
And you're not sort of leaving,as I said earlier, you're not
checking your symptoms at thedoor.
They come in with you and theyaffect your mind and your body.
(44:10):
So I so appreciate that, um,Kim.
Um, April, I'll ask you this andthen Kim, if you'd like to
piggyback, that would be great.
Um if if someone in theaudience, April, wanted to start
to take one immediate steptomorrow, where should they
start?
And I I guess I would saywhether you're speaking to an
(44:33):
employee or an employer.
SPEAKER_03 (44:35):
Yeah, yeah.
Um, I I would answer it a littlebit different, um, depending on
whether it's an individual or anorganization.
For organizations, it's simple.
Um, I'd recommend downloadingour free checklist from the
website or taking theself-assessment, whatever you
prefer, whether you want paper,you want to do it online, but to
really take that temperatureread for your organization and
(44:57):
give yourself a roadmap.
By by walking through thatchecklist, um, you're going to
be able to identify what I amdoing well and where are the
gaps.
We um have heard over and overand over again from
organizations that are eithercommitted to or credited with
our membership say, yourchecklist was gold.
(45:17):
It was our starting point.
It really uncovered those areasthat we need to work on and
improve on.
So I would say the checklist,and it's completely free.
So go do it, do it online,download the checklist.
And if you need help, reach outto us.
We can certainly talk youthrough that.
Happy to do that at no charge.
For individuals, I would say um,depending on where you are in
(45:42):
your journey and what it is thatyou need, um, look at our
resource tab on our website.
There are free resourceresources out there that will
help you, whether it'sunderstanding menopause, um,
whether it is finding ahealthcare practitioner, how do
I do that?
Where do I find someone that'squalified that will actually
(46:02):
help me, that will listen to me?
Um, you know, whether Kimmentioned this earlier, if
you're an employee and you wantto take it to your workplace,
there's an entire guide therethat will take you through, you
know, from step one to 10.
What do I say?
Where do I start?
Um, and just make sure that, andyou mentioned this too, Rachel,
that whatever information you'rereading or you're extracting
(46:24):
from online, that it isevidence-based, science-based,
because there's a lot of noisein this space right now.
So find really solid resourcesthat you can trust.
Um, there are a ton out there.
You know, we haven't even talkedabout other free resources.
We could certainly put it inshow notes or what for you, but
there's a lot of um high-qualityresources available.
SPEAKER_01 (46:48):
Terrific.
SPEAKER_03 (46:49):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (46:50):
And I would add, because you said I could.
Yeah, for you.
I would add, what do you alreadyhave in play?
What and and make sure thatpeople know about it from an
organizational perspective.
And from an individualperspective, like, don't suffer.
Okay, get some help.
I'm a client of Alloy.
Go to go get out.
(47:10):
That will take you just a coupleof minutes to get the help that
you need.
And amazing doctors from amedical perspective, but also
understand what's going on andthat you don't have to suffer.
That is the number one thing.
Like, there are ways to feeldifferent.
SPEAKER_00 (47:27):
Absolutely.
Thank you for both of that.
I want to ask you before weclose, and I feel like kind of a
jerk because I I was I wasn't onmy game when we started with
you're asking me questions, butI really should have asked you
to tell us a little bit aboutMedovia.
I think I think anyonelistening, and certainly people
(47:47):
who know you um will know or canfigure it out.
But would you, April, and thenKim, tell us a little bit about
your organization and then tellus where people can find you.
SPEAKER_03 (47:58):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Happy to.
Kim, we we do this well.
Kim likes to fill in where Ileave off.
Okay, okay, great.
Um, I mean, in in simple terms,Medovia comes alongside
organizations and helps them tointegrate menopause into the
fabric of their organization,which leads to that cultural
change.
Um, we do that through ourmembership and accreditation
(48:19):
program, which is the only onein the US.
Um, we partner with our friendsover across the pond in the UK
and Australia.
So it's a global membership andaccreditation program with a
third-party panel that reviewsthose applications.
Um, and then we also havewraparound services.
So we're able to come in anddeliver training.
(48:39):
We have e-learning, we havemasterclasses that we can
provide resources.
Uh, we have menominut, menavideos that are educational,
that many organizations uploadonto their microsites or their
menopause hubs, for example.
Um, and we've even createdmicrosites for organizations
that really don't have anythingexisting in place.
(49:00):
So we like to say that we meetorganizations where they are
because every singleorganization is different.
And and you you talked aboutthis in the very beginning,
Rachel, and I really appreciateit.
I think we often um our go-to isthe corporate office, right?
We we we think about people thatare sitting in offices or
cubicles, but we work withorganizations of all industries,
(49:23):
all sizes, all trades, and eachone is truly unique and
individual and what their needsare and where their starting
point is.
So we meet we meet them wherethey're at.
SPEAKER_01 (49:34):
Kim?
Nope, good job.
I would say you could find us atMedovia, M-I-D-O-V-IA.com.
Uh, we do a lot on LinkedIn, uhMadovia, and we do an Instagram
on uh MyModobia at MyModovia.
So we would love to I would loveto, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (49:52):
I I'm sorry to jump in.
I I I would love to host aconversation with the two of
you.
I think that um the conversationabout around menopause in the
workplace kind of ebbs and flowsa lot, or at least in in my line
of vision, um in the menopausesphere.
Um, and I think that's notright, and and we should keep
(50:14):
talking for absolutely lovethat.
I would love to ask you.
SPEAKER_01 (50:18):
Yeah, we often see where there's articles about the
clinical benefits, and youshould also do these other
things, but nobody says how todo these other things, and
that's what we do.
We do those little things,right?
It's not sexy, no, yeah, wedon't do the sexy work, but it's
great, yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (50:35):
But nobody has to do it, yeah.
Important, important sexy, yeah.
Rachel, where can people findyou?
I don't know that we mentionedyour website or where people oh
that's okay.
SPEAKER_00 (50:45):
I I am really mostly on Instagram.
I jump in and out of LinkedIn.
I'm I'm making it a point to getbetter there because I I know
that it's it's at least aplatform I can manage on like
TikTok.
I I can't wrap my head aroundthere.
Um, but my my personal handle israchel.hughes.midlife.
(51:08):
And um certainly if you're onthe alloy platform, um you can
look out for support groupemails that I run often.
I'll invite one of ourprescribing physicians to join
me for one of those supportgroups so it becomes really like
a clinical hour for the peoplewho are able to come.
Um, certainly you can find myconversations with experts and
(51:32):
physicians, um, thought leaderson our YouTube channel.
It's uh Alloy Women's Health onYouTube.
And if you are following Alloy'sInstagram, you'll see me as you
scroll in their clips and thingsfrom conversations.
But it's it's my most umfavorite thing to do is to to
(51:54):
speak to women who are, youknow, going through it, what
whatever sort of season of lifethey're in.
We're we're all uh I have a realheart to support others how I
can, and I'm super curious andalways want to learn from people
who know so much more than I doabout anything.
So it would be my pleasure tospeak with you over on the
(52:16):
alley.
SPEAKER_01 (52:17):
We would love it.
We would love it.
So we're posting this both as awebinar and as a Medovia
podcast.
And so we ask all of our guestsat the end of our podcast,
what's the best piece of adviceyou've ever received?
SPEAKER_00 (52:31):
Oh, that I've ever received.
Um you know, I I I receivedgreat advice.
I haven't always taken it.
SPEAKER_02 (52:42):
And it's I didn't say take it.
I just received it.
You have to take it.
SPEAKER_00 (52:48):
I have to take it.
But it's interesting because nowin midlife, I'm feeling much
more comfortable taking thatadvice.
And that advice is to just sayyes more and just say no more.
And you know, if you have a gutthat sort of is good at
intuiting what the yeses are andwhat the no's are, you can
(53:09):
really seize life, I think, in away that um we we hope that we
would.
Um, so it took me a long time toget to the place where I felt
like, you know what, I'm justgonna go do that.
Or you know, that is really notmy thing, and I'm okay about
that.
I don't have to apologize aboutit.
And that's exceptionallyrewarding and um particularly
(53:33):
special right now, this seasonof life for me.
It's empowering.
SPEAKER_03 (53:37):
Yeah, I love that.
Um, and so so true.
You get to the stage and youfeel comfortable saying, I feel
more comfortable saying no thanyes.
So I'll work, but yeah, no, andyeah, isn't it like, oh god,
that felt good.
SPEAKER_00 (53:55):
I could do I might do that all day.
SPEAKER_03 (53:57):
I might do that.
Exactly.
And I feel happy and I can behappy, right?
Yeah, I love that.
Yeah, so thank you for that.
Well, Rachel, it's been a realpleasure having you with us
today.
Thanks so much for spending thetime and sharing your knowledge.
And let's continue theconversation because I think we
could probably talk for hours.
SPEAKER_00 (54:17):
I think so.
I I really loved it.
I just love speaking with bothof you.
Thank you so much for having me.
Thank you so much.
Of course.
SPEAKER_03 (54:23):
Um, everyone that's listening and watching, go find
joy in the journey until we meetagain.
Thanks everybody.
Thank you for listening to theMedovia Menopause podcast.
If you enjoyed today's show,please give it a thumbs up,
subscribe for future episodes,leave a review, and share this
(54:45):
episode with a friend.
Modovia is out to change thenarrative.
Learn more at Medovia.com.
That's M I D O V I A.com.
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