Growing up in a household with two older brothers and a father who shared in the boisterous behaviour, I often heard my mum exclaim about the "testosterone overload." However, gender roles in our family were far from traditional - my mum worked as a workplace psychologist, and we had an open, egalitarian approach to life. Despite this openness, one topic we didn’t discuss was menopause.

Now, both my wife and I are registered psychologists, and in our household (which has a 50/50 gender split), conversations about women’s health are frequent and eye-opening. Despite progress in the corporate world, menopause is still rarely discussed at work. Sadly, I’ve heard “she’s going through menopause” used to dismiss and negatively label women (by men and women alike). The woman managing hot flushes at her desk is often ridiculed, adding judgement to the already significant psychological and physical impacts of menopause.

With more women in senior leadership, Amanda and I are seeing many female clients grappling with the effects of menopause and the lack of understanding in their workplaces. If we want true gender equality in leadership, we must acknowledge and support women through this transition. Some stats on the impact:

• 50% of women report increased anxiety and stress during menopause (Freeman et al., 2014), which can erode confidence in leadership roles.
• 60% experience memory issues or difficulty concentrating, often mistaken for incompetence (Stuenkel et al., 2015).
• 45% of women feel menopause negatively impacts their work, with many facing bias from colleagues (British Menopause Society).
• Nearly 30% say they’ve been judged on their performance due to cognitive symptoms (CIPD, 2019).
• 25% of women have considered leaving their jobs due to menopause symptoms and lack of workplace support (Menopause Journal).

On World Menopause Day, I thought I would share some research that suggests women going through menopause often require simple yet impactful adjustments to continue performing at their best:

Flexibility: Around 59% of women feel that flexible working hours or environments would help them manage symptoms like hot flushes and fatigue more effectively (CIPD, 2019).

Supportive Managers: 72% of menopausal women feel uncomfortable discussing their symptoms with their line managers, yet having supportive conversations could significantly reduce stress and improve job performance (Wellbeing of Women, 2017).

Workplace Adjustments: Temperature control, access to quiet spaces, or even better ventilation can make a huge difference for women experiencing hot flushes, and yet 45% of women report that no workplace adjustments were offered (British Menopause Society).