Menopause is still a taboo subject at work, study finds
Women going through menopause continue to face stigma and a lack of support in the workplace according to a new study.
Just 22 per cent of workers have spoken about menopause in the workplace with research by digital health app Peppy revealing that people would rather discuss sex in the office than the symptoms women experience as part of the ageing process.
The silence around menopause is at its worst in the boardroom with 43 per cent of C-level employees saying they never speak about it and only 39 per cent of high-ups saying they would feel comfortable doing so.
Peppy’s Director of Menopause services, Kathy Abernethy, stressed that “menopause is not just a women’s issue,” and said “leadership teams need to be equipped with the right tools to help their team.”
“There is still a long way to go in order to break the stigma and normalise conversations around menopause and other important health issues,” Abernethy continued.
“The good news is that our data shows that people want to support their colleagues but 70% agree that there isn’t enough information in their organisation to help those experiencing menopause.”
The research showed that the stigma attached to female bodies and ageing is preventing women from accessing the support that they need with 40 per cent of survey respondents recognising that women are likely to be discriminated against whilst at work because of their symptoms.
The research comes after the Wellbeing of Women campaign estimated that a staggering 900,000 women have quit their jobs because of the menopause.
Read more: Time for firms to menopause for thought