Women’s experiences of menopause at work and performance management

Abstract

Presenting findings from our global evidence review of menopause transition and economic participation emboldened us to establish a menopause policy at the university where we all worked at the time. Our report was published in July 2017 and the policy was in place by November that year. Our critical reflection on this activism focuses on issues that are not commonly recognized around such interventions, and which we ourselves have only been able to acknowledge through engaged action. Challenges remain in normalizing menopause in organizations, specifically around gendered ageism and performance management. In drawing on Meyerson and Kolb’s framework for understanding gender in organizations, we highlight how policies are both vital and yet insufficient in and of themselves in revising the dominant discourse around menopause at work. At the same time, we highlight the importance and shortcomings of academic activism within these processes.

Menopause and the workplace: New directions in HRM research and HR practice

“…Mid‐life women, who are most likely to experience menopause symptoms, derive considerable self‐esteem and social support from their employment. Its financial rewards are also important in the context of continuing economic uncertainty and the gender pay and pension gaps (Beck, Brewis, & Davies, 2019; Glass & Kilpatrick, 1998; Griffiths, Cox, Griffiths, & Wong, 2006; Sarrel, 2012). It is therefore imperative that women are able to work for as long as they wish.…”

“…Finally, turning to the business case, although the evidence that menopause reduces women's productivity is both scarce and contradictory (Beck et al, 2019; Brewis et al, 2017), it appears that large numbers of women have seriously considered leaving work because of their symptoms. A UK‐based ITV Tonight and Wellbeing of Women survey showed two thirds of respondents reporting there was no menopause‐related support available to them at work; half felt work had made their symptoms worse; and a quarter had thought about quitting altogether (ITV, 2016).…”

The remains of the taboo: experiences, attitudes, and knowledge about menopause in the workplace

“…Since the publication of the Government report on the effects of menopause transition on women's economic participation in the UK 1 in 2017, there has been a significant step change in public attention to menopause in the workplace. Although taking off from a noticeably low starting point, women's menopause experiences are now taken into consideration by more organisations and trade unions 2 . This is at least in part driven by the government's (financial) need to extend working lives 3 .…”

Vivências de mulheres na menopausa: contributos a compreensão do cuidar em enfermagem

“…No entanto, algumas participantes revelaram que a menopausa não constituiu um problema para as suas atividades diárias. Beck, Brewis & Davies (2019) referem que as alterações psicológicas resultantes da menopausa podem levar à frustração, ansiedade, irritabilidade, alterações de humor e depressão, o que muitas vezes tem um impacto nas relações pessoais e na qualidade de vida das mulheres. A categoria "Estratégias utilizadas face aos constrangimentos" é constituída por três subcategorias: "Procurar ajuda profissional", "Adotar uma atitude de resiliência" e "Recorrer a saberes populares".…”