by HRHQ Editorial Team
To mark World Menopause Day, 18th October, researchers from University of Galway and University College Cork released the findings of a study titled ‘Menopause in the workplace’, revealing that menopause remains a hidden and taboo subject in the workplace.
The study was based on surveys of almost 1,000 public sector workers in Ireland, including 835 women and 151 men, from five public sector organisations.
It was carried out to explore women’s experiences of menopause at work; the attitudes of other workers who are not experiencing menopause; the impact of menopause on work outcomes for women; and to identify interventions to support women.
Some of the key findings:
68% of people who took the survey stated that menopause was not spoken about in their workplace
8% said it was a ‘taboo’ subject
75% didn’t know if their company had a menopause policy
70% stated that organisations should adjust the physical work environment for those going through menopause
Dr Maeve O’Sullivan, College of Business Public Policy & Law at University of Galway said “Despite high rates of women in employment, and Government focus on keeping people in work for longer, menopause remains a taboo subject in many organisations and a significant barrier to employee wellbeing and productivity.”
Dr Elaine O’Brien in University College Cork said: “Despite menopause now being openly discussed in today’s society, there is very little focus on its impact on work and vice versa. Our Menopause in the workplace study finds that while some female employees discuss menopause with colleagues, only 12pc do so with their managers.
A series of recommendations have been set out alongside the survey including training and education programmes for staff. Female workers should be offered greater flexibility when going through menopausal transition for medical appointments and other occasions.
