This is the focus of recent research by Tatiana Rowson and Inclusive Leadership Company co-founder Rebecca Jones.
In this study, they conduct a systematic review to examine how menopausal women make sense of and respond to their experiences at work.
Menopause refers to the point when menstrual periods stop, caused by a reduction in reproductive hormones and also affects individuals who identify as transgender and non-binary, The transition is often gradual with the average age for menopause in the UK being 51 although the symptoms associated with hormone deficiency can start 10 years prior, a period known as the perimenopause.
In fact, there are 34 recognised symptoms of menopause. These vary between individuals and their severity may change over time. One in three individuals report challenges at work linked to menopause or perimenopause, including issues with concentration, low mood, reduced confidence, poor memory, and fatigue.
Critically, data shows that 1 in 3 women exit the workforce early without the necessary financial resources to retire. And menopause is frequently cited as one of the key reasons for this early exit.
When considering how to support those experiencing menopause, to date, there has been a very narrow focus centring on how to cope with symptoms, which has neglected work-related experiences and outcomes. The reality is that those experiencing menopause are not a homogenous group, their experiences will vary greatly and for many, their experience of work during the menopause transition is extremely important.
The paper highlights how the ideal worker concept is a representation of power in organizations that is particularly important in the context of menopause. The ideal worker is disembodied and ageless, hence it disadvantages menopausal women by exposing them to ageist and sexist attitudes – the menopause is inherently embodied (given the nature of the symptoms) and age related.
Consequently, older workers who do not manage to “keep up appearances” and conceal their aging menopausal bodies can be perceived as no longer competent or valued in the workplace.
The ideal worker generates inequalities between people, depending on how close to this power, so how similar they are to the ideal worker, they find themselves. It presents idealized expectations of undivided commitment to work, free from non-work distractions, such as menopausal symptoms.
Aspects of the environment can worsen this sense of threat. For example, environments that are male-dominated or that reflect a masculine culture (such as the police or STEM occupations) create a greater sense of threat, as the menopausal body is even further removed from what is expected from the ideal worker in that context.
In addition, individual factors such as internalised gendered ageism, social class, cultural context and the severity of symptoms all influence the beliefs individuals form about menopause as a stage of life and make sense of their experiences at work which may also contribute to the sense of threat experienced.
The consequence of this is that while anxiety and mood swings are recognized symptoms of menopause, these emotional experiences are likely magnified by contextual and individual beliefs associated with menopause being perceived as high-threat.
Finally, individuals can experience different amounts of agency in reducing the sense of threat, which influences the coping strategies they adopt.
When a level of acceptance and openness about their menopause status is reached, individuals perceive the threat as more manageable, which increases their agency to utilise adaptive coping strategies. Different types of adaptive coping strategies include gathering information to understand the menopause, lifestyle changes such as exercise and nutrition, talking to others with shared experiences, and requesting flexible work arrangements.
Other, less adaptive coping strategies can include hiding signs of aging or menopause, avoiding meeting others, attributing issues to made up illnesses, engaging in self-deprecating (negative) identity talk, reducing their working hours or leaving the workforce entirely. These strategies tend to occur when there is of rejection of menopause as a normal and natural part of being human.
When organizational structures and practices favour and validate the notion of the ideal worker, for example through a lack of diversity or unsupportive management, there is a greater chance that those experiencing menopause will feel marginalized or isolated and consequently interpret their situation as high threat.
The opposite extreme of this can also be true. When organizations have policies and practices that encourage open conversations and reasonable workplace adjustments, menopause-related discussions may not be perceived as taboo and individuals may feel comfortable to disclose their status and seek support. Coaching and group coaching can be a powerful tool to support those experiencing menopause. To find out more about how we use group coaching to support those experiencing menopause, get in touch at enquiries@inclusiveleadershipcompany.com
You can read the full article here.
