The workplace can be rough for menopausal women. Employers are starting to step up
The workplace can be rough for menopausal women. Employers are starting to step up
From hot flashes and heart palpitations to chronic insomnia and brain fog, menopausal symptoms may affect roughly 25% of the US working population at any given time — and now a growing number of employers are stepping up to offer more support.
It's great that they are getting this out here:
"There is a menopause management vacuum,” said Dr. Stephanie Faubion, who is medical director for The Menopause Society and director of the Mayo Clinic’s Center for Women’s Health.
Only 7% of medical residents training in family medicine, internal medicine, and obstetrics and gynecology said they felt adequately prepared to help women patients manage menopause, according to a 2017 Mayo Clinic survey.
“Just because you’re a physician in obstetrics and gynecology doesn’t mean you learned about menopause and hormones,” Faubion said.
And state that:
The goal is not to require that employees confide to managers that they are in menopause or for managers to approach employees they just assume are menopausal. Rather, it’s to make everyone at work aware that menopause is a common health issue, and that various medical and mental health benefits exist that may help employees manage their symptoms.
That's a really good point there at the end. Rather than having employers making accommodation for people dealing with the symptoms of menopause, be sure that the company health insurance has good coverage and resources for it and make an effort to put the information out into the employee population so they can use the benefit. People in menopause most likely don't want to "out" themselves for fear of repercussions.