“In 2023 the global female population is over 4 billion.
Women form a large part of workforces worldwide,
and many will be working throughout their menopausal years”.1

Umbrella

What may the Menopause and the Workplace Umbrella include?

Depending on the Source (DotS) this Umbrella may include:

  • Menopause and the Workplace
  • Menopause in the Workplace

Menopause Workplace

What do the Australian Menopause Society (AMS) explain about Menopause and the Workplace?

In Menopause and the Workplace the AMS explain:

Menopause and the Workplace“Addressing menopause at work can benefit both employers and employees.

Employers who make workplaces responsive to gender and diversity will be better able to attract and retain skilled and talented staff. Menopause is a gender and age-equity issue and remains one of the last “unspoken” issues in workplaces”.2

Menopause Society

Menopause and the WorkplaceWhere may I find information about the Menopause Society’s (formerly the North American Menopause Society) Making Menopause Work, published September 2024?

You may find information in Making Menopause Work and The Menopause Society Launches Making Menopause Work™ Initiative.

What is the Menopause Society’s Menopause and the Workplace: Consensus Recommendations From The Menopause Society?

In Menopause and the Workplace: Consensus Recommendations From The Menopause Society, published September 2024, the Menopause Society elaborate on:

“These recommendations include, among other things, suggestions for employers to review policies and healthcare plans and benefits and to consider flexibility and accommodations that may be needed for some women with menopause symptoms”.3

European Menopause and Andropause Society

Menopause and the WorkplaceWhat is the European Menopause and Andropause Society’s (EMAS) EMAS Menopause In the Workplace?

In EMAS Menopause In the Workplace the EMAS explain:

“…EMAS is leading in health and wellbeing frameworks and policies to incorporate menopausal health as part of the wider context of gender and age equality and reproductive and post-reproductive health”.4

Menopause and the Workplace Links

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Menopause

What is menopause?

DotS the definition of menopause may vary. In The 2023 Practitioner’s Toolkit for Managing Menopause: Definitions, published online 01 December 2023, the authors’ definition is:

“Menopause is the permanent cessation of menstruation in a non-hysterectomized woman. As many women may not be naturally menstruating when their menopause transition begins, for example due to hormonal contraception, having had an endometrial ablation or hysterectomy or pre-existing oligo-amenorrhea, a pragmatic definition of menopause is the permanent cessation of ovarian function”.5

Menopause Age

What is the average age of menopause?

In What Is Menopause? Definition of Menopause the Australasian Menopause Society explain:

“Most women become menopausal naturally between the ages of 45 and 55 years, with the average age of onset at around 51 years. Surgical menopause refers to menopause as a result of bilateral oophorectomy. Premature menopause or premature ovarian insufficiency may occur before the age of 40 due to natural ovarian function ceasing, following surgery to remove the ovaries, or as a result of chemo/ radiotherapy. Menopause is considered “early” when it occurs between 40 and 45 years”.6

Menopause Symptoms

What are some menopause symptoms?

In Symptoms of Menopause: Physical and Emotional Symptoms the (Australian) Jean Hailes for Women’s Health elaborate on:

“Physical Symptoms
Physical symptoms may include:

  • Irregular periods
  • Hot flushes
  • Night sweats
  • Sleep problems
  • Sore breasts
  • Itchy, crawly or dry skin
  • Exhaustion and fatigue
  • Dry vagina
  • Loss of sex drive (libido)
  • Headaches or migraines
  • More pronounced premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
  • Aches and pains
  • Bloating
  • Urinary problems
  • Weight gain due to a slower metabolism

Emotional Symptoms
Emotional symptoms may include:

  • Feeling irritable or frustrated
  • Feeling anxious
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Brain fog
  • Forgetfulness
  • Lowered mood
  • Mood swings
  • Feeling you can’t cope as well as you used to”.7

Menopause Symptoms Duration

What is the average duration of menopause symptoms?

On page one and two in Optimising the Menopause Transition: Joint Position Statement By the British Menopause Society, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and Society for Endocrinology on Best Practice Recommendations for the Care of Women Experiencing the Menopause, first published online 10 June 2022, the authors elaborate on:

“It is estimated that menopausal symptoms affect more than 75% of women, with over 25% of women describing severe symptoms. Furthermore, menopausal symptoms may last for a long time with an average duration of 7 years, with a third of women experiencing symptoms beyond 7 years”.8

Menopause Symptoms Personal Impact

What personal impact may menopause symptoms have?

On page one in Optimising the Menopause Transition: Joint Position Statement By the British Menopause Society, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and Society for Endocrinology on Best Practice Recommendations for the Care of Women Experiencing the Menopause the authors also note:

“The menopause marks the end of the reproductive life cycle and can affect women in a variety of ways. Many women may experience symptoms related to the menopause that can have a detrimental impact on their quality of life and wellbeing and may also have a significant impact on their personal relationships and work. These can include hot flushes and night sweats, vaginal dryness, a change in mood and memory problems. Whilst not all women going through the menopause will experience menopausal symptoms, the majority will experience such symptoms”.9

Menopause Symptoms Workplace Impact

What workplace impact may menopause symptoms have?

In The Impact of Menopause on Women’s Health: A Workplace Initiative, dated 22 February 2023, the (United States) Society for Women’s Health Research elaborate on:

“With approximately 44% of women in the workforce being older than 45, menopause symptoms have been reported to affect up to 20% of the US workforce. With approximately 44% of women in the workforce being older than 45, increases in retirement age and life expectancy are putting a demand on workplace settings to recognize the impact of menopause on women’s health”.10

Health Topics A-Z

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Links

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Sources

Where may I find the Sources quoted?

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Sources

  1. EMAS Menopause In the Workplace. European Menopause and Andropause Society https://emas-online.org/menopause-in-the-workplace/ Accessed: 10 October 2024
  2. Menopause and the Workplace. Content Updated November 2022. Australian Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org.au/health-info/fact-sheets/menopause-and-the-workplace Accessed: 10 October 2024
  3. Menopause Society. Menopause and the Workplace: Consensus Recommendations From The Menopause Society. September 2024 https://journals.lww.com/menopausejournal/abstract/2024/09000/menopause_and_the_workplace__consensus.3.aspx Accessed: 10 October 2024
  4. EMAS Menopause In the Workplace. European Menopause and Andropause Society https://emas-online.org/menopause-in-the-workplace/ Accessed: 10 October 2024
  5. Davis, S. R., Taylor, S., Hemachandra, C., Magraith, K., Ebeling, P. R., Jane, F., and Islam, R. M. The 2023 Practitioner’s Toolkit for Managing Menopause: Definitions. Published Online: 30 October 2023 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13697137.2023.2258783 Accessed: 10 October 2024
  6. What Is Menopause? Definition of Menopause. Content Created  May 2022. Australasian Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org.au/hp/information-sheets/185-what-is-menopause Accessed: 10 October 2024
  7. Symptoms of Menopause: Physical and Emotional Symptoms. Last Updated: 07 October 2024. Last Reviewed: 19 August 2022. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/menopause-symptoms#physical-and-emotional-symptoms Accessed: 10 October 2024
  8. Hamoda, H, Mukherjee, A, Morris, E, Baldeweg, S. E., Jayasena, C. N., Briggs, P, Moger, S. Optimising the Menopause Transition: Joint Position Statement By the British Menopause Society, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and Society for Endocrinology on Best Practice Recommendations for the Care of Women Experiencing the Menopause. First Published Online 10 June 2022:1-2 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/20533691221104882 Accessed: 10 October 2024
  9. Hamoda, H, Mukherjee, A, Morris, E, Baldeweg, S. E., Jayasena, C. N., Briggs, P, Moger, S. Optimising the Menopause Transition: Joint Position Statement By the British Menopause Society, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and Society for Endocrinology on Best Practice Recommendations for the Care of Women Experiencing the Menopause. First Published Online 10 June 2022:1 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/20533691221104882 Accessed: 10 October 2024
  10. The Impact of Menopause on Women’s Health: A Workplace Initiative. 22 February 2023. Society for Women’s Health Research https://swhr.org/event/the-impact-of-menopause-on-womens-health-a-workplace-initiative/2023-02-22/ Accessed: 10 October 2024
Topic Last Updated: 10 October 2024 – Topic Last Reviewed: 10 October 2024