Effects of Menopausal Symptoms on Work Life and Organizational Environment

Abstract

Background: Every working woman has the right to continue to live as a healthy individual. The working environment has important effects on general health status and reproductive health of women. If menopouse period of women is not taken into consideration and if appropriate arrangements are not made at workplaces, their work performance and productivity decrease. It is important to have detailed knowledge about factors creating risk for health in order to develop effective policies and programs directed towards preventing them. Objective: This study was performed to determine perceived effects of menopause on work life and attitudes of an institution towards menopausal women. Methods: The study population included 419 women aged 45-55 years and working at a university. Out of 419 women, 291 could be contacted. Data were collected with a questionaire composed of questions about descriptive characteristics, effects of menopause on work life and support from and attitudes of the institution about menopause. Data collected to reveal menopausal women’s experiences at work were analyzed with statistical methods frequency, percentages and mean. Results: The mean age at which menopause started was 47 years and 89.7% of the women experienced menopausal complaints. Conclusions: Physical conditions at work and stressors were found to increase menopausal complaints and had a negative effect on work performance.

Policies, Guidelines, and Practices Supporting Women’s Menstruation, Menstrual Disorders and Menopause at Work: A Critical Global Scoping Review

“…This data could contribute to the development of a workplace intervention. For example, Besen et al's (2021) work is a qualitative crosssectional study to understand the effects of menopausal symptoms on work life and could support the development of workplace policies [26]. Articles are categorised into 'presents or reviews an intervention' or 'does not present or review an intervention.'…”

“…Age may account for the focus on menopause guidance in trade union and federation reports. Menopause typically takes place between 45-55 years, an age at which people are more likely to be in senior roles and therefore may have greater influence and access to the networks and resources to implement policies and practices and commission research [26]. The visible physiological symptoms, such as vasomotor symptoms (i.e., hot flushes), are more likely to affect health and safety within industries run by trade unions [43].…”