Menopause Information for You and Your Manager
What is Menopause?
Menopause is when a woman stops having periods. Menopause means ‘the last menstrual period’. It’s not only those who identify as women who will experience menopause. Some transgender men, non-binary people and intersex people or people with variations in sex characteristics may also experience menopause.
Menopause is a natural event and transition that women experience, however, the timing and symptoms are different for everyone.
Perimenopause is the time from the start of menopausal symptoms until after a woman has experienced her last period. Perimenopause and menopause are a natural part of a woman’s life course and usually occur between the ages 45 and 55 years of age, as a woman’s oestrogen levels drop (although it can start earlier). In the UK, the average age for a woman to reach menopause is 51.
Perimenopause and menopause may start much earlier than the average or usual age. Early menopause can happen naturally, or as a side effect of some treatments such as chromosome abnormalities, autoimmune disease, certain infections, cancer treatments or surgery to remove ovaries.
Life doesn’t have to be put on hold because of menopause. There’s a lot that can be done to help manage symptoms, you can contact health professional through your GP or other charitable organisations to discuss options, include making healthy lifestyle choices or trying different treatments. Various support organisations are included on the NHS website for both menopause and early menopause.
This NHS video provides more information about menopause, perimenopause and symptoms, where to find information and support.
The MVDC Employee Assistance Programme also provides lots of information about perimenopause, menopause and managing symptoms.
Symptoms of menopause
Most women will experience menopausal symptoms. Some women will experience few, or no, symptoms. But for some, they can be quite severe and have a significant impact. Typical symptoms are included in the above video and are outlined here on the NHS inform website.
Should I discuss my menopause symptoms with my manager?
If menopause symptoms are affecting your work you may find it helpful to talk to your manager. It can be embarrassing to talk about your menopause, but being honest about your symptoms and asking for help is an important first step. Before you meet, it might help to prepare a list of the symptoms you’re experiencing and suggest some practical solutions, this may help your manager to understand and support you where they are able.
You may also want to consider opening up to your colleagues about your menopausal symptoms where you feel comfortable to do so. There may be other people in your team who are menopausal (or have menopausal partners or family members) and understand what you are going through. It’s really helpful to have this kind of support if you’re having a difficult day.
If your symptoms are more severe and could be impacting your ability to carry out particular elements of your role, or relationships with colleagues, a discussion with your manager will help them to consider any reasonable adaptations or adjustments that could be made to support you.
What should I do if my symptoms make me too unwell to work?
Where your symptoms cause you to be unwell and therefore unable to work this should be logged as sickness absence in the usual way. On your return from sick leave you manager will hold a return to work discussion with you. This is a good opportunity to make your manager aware that you are experiencing symptoms of menopause, if you have not done this already.
Information for managers
There is lots of information available to help managers understand the impacts of menopause, for the individual, the workplace and the wider community, and what managers can do to help mitigate that impact and support an employee effectively.
Providing opportunities for discussions including wellbeing in a confidential setting helps to support an open and supporting work environment. Regular discussions including 121s and Performance Development Reviews supports this approach.
Being open to discussion with your staff about the subject is important to understanding the needs of particular individuals and any practical support that could be offered, including suitable reasonable adjustments where practicable. A discussion about menopause may arise following a period of absence and it is important that Return to Work discussions are held promptly to capture any concerns quickly and look at appropriate supportive action.
Here are some useful web pages: