Did you know that almost 8 out of 10 women in work are in the menopausal age range
according to the uk faculty of occupational medicine now that's a lot of women isn't it
here's a few more big scary statistics for you the fastest growing demographic in the workforce in
the uk are menopausal women it's estimated that currently around 13 million women in the UK are
either perimenopausal or menopausal you know this equals one-third of the entire uk female
population so it stands to reason that if you manage women or that you work with women
most of them will experience perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms at some stage now for some
the symptoms will be minimal and manageable but for others they will be debilitating and even
career ending menopause happens naturally or it can be a medical menopause with so many women
experiencing menopause why is it a topic that for most people it causes a cringe vest
or that wave of embarrassment i'm tracy tate and in this video i'm going to share with you
why menopause is an uncomfortable topic and how you can make it a much more comfortable topic
that can be talked about in the workplace let's put menopause aside just for a second
so what is it in the first place that can make a conversation difficult every conversation
especially a difficult conversation comes with a certain expectations views or opinions now these
expectations happen around the circumstances of the conversation the topic of it and the
relationship between the people having it so if it's a conversation around the menopause
or not difficult conversations are emotional and it can be so very easy for our emotions to
take over during an uncomfortable or a difficult conversation because by our very nature humans
well we're emotional so suddenly then it makes perfect sense why it's perfectly normal as a
manager to feel worried that you might say or do the wrong thing when it comes to having
a conversation about menopause we asked some working women how they would like a conversation
with their manager about menopause to go these are just some of the things that they told us
i want that person to be understanding approachable and open to discussion
as well as to be a good listener being supportive and offering help would be welcomed with open arms
i would like trust respect and to feel safe and unjudged i'd like them to show empathy and for
them to be asking me how they can help me so how can you start to create and build a workplace
environment where the menopause is talked about without it being so uncomfortable it all starts
when you increase awareness about menopause and here are three ways that you can improve
that awareness talk about it start by saying the word out loud menopause it's okay to say it
you won't implode now the person in front of you will yes they may turn a bit red get a bit
embarrassed they might not start a conversation around it because if it's not spoken about
nothing will change it will stay uncomfortable educate your managers and your colleagues
give them useful and helpful training so the menopause no longer is a topic that starts that
dreaded cringe create a workplace environment that's a safe place when menopause is talked
about managers and colleagues are educated more so straight away it becomes a less embarrassing topic
you can then put in place those important things to support those going through the perimenopause
and menopause in your workplace things like providing easier access to cold drinking water
flexible working uniforms made from natural fibers sanitary products in the toilets
providing a desk by a window that opens or a desk fan so how can you make talking about menopause
in your workplace easier and more comfortable let me help you have comfortable conversations
about menopause without the worry of saying or doing the wrong thing remember
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