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Menopause: Mind the Gap

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Menopause: Mind the Gap

The Value of Supporting Women’s Wellness in the Workplace

Pat Duckworth,

15 min read
7 take-aways
Audio & text

What's inside?

Support and retain working women during menopause with a comprehensive menopause policy.

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Editorial Rating

9

Qualities

  • Applicable
  • Well Structured
  • Concrete Examples

Recommendation

Award-winning author and international public speaker Pat Duckworth addresses menopause forthrightly and challenges leaders to create a supportive working culture for women in their menopause years. Such a culture begins by recognizing menopausal symptoms, which include hot flashes, but also anxiety, low self-esteem and periods of brain fog. Duckworth provides detailed guidance on how menopause effects productivity, and informs managers and HR professionals about how to increase awareness among themselves and their staff.

Summary

Workplaces increasingly reflect the diversity found in the greater community.

Typical company policies for women in 1972 allowed organizations to pay women 10% less than their male peers. There was no maternity pay, and when women had children, employers commonly expected them to leave their jobs. Today, women over 50 represent the fastest growing segment in the workforce, increasing by 21 percent between 1993 and 2020. Legislative efforts enacted over the past 40 years, which, in most nations, included maternity leave, meant women continued working and advancing their careers through their childbearing years. This increased presence led to studies focusing on women and the support they need, particularly through their menopause years. Some research points to a positive correlation between policies that support employee health and increased worker productivity.

Menopause symptoms can adversely effect women’s job performances. In one study, for example, women reported experiencing more stress, a decreased ability to concentrate and less patience with clients and team members. Yet most women, especially those in leadership positions, hesitate...

About the Author

Women’s strategist, award-winning author, therapist and international public speaker Pat Duckworth advocates for women’s well-being in the workplace.

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