Menopause in the workplace and you

Full text

22 FOCUS
WIN Vol 30 No 2 March 2022
Menopause in the
workplace and you
MENOPAUSE is a topic that is gaining
increasing attention and there is growing
evidence that the ‘silence’ has now been
broken.1 According to the Central Statistics
Office there are almost 350,000 women
employed in Ireland aged 45-64. The aver-
age age of a woman’s menopause is 51
years,2 so a significant number of women
will be working throughout their meno-
pause transition. Nursing and midwifery
are predominately female professions,
with women representing 90% of all active
NMBI registrants spanning the entire
working-age range. This is the reason why
menopause in the workplace is such an
important issue for the INMO.
Menopause has traditionally been a
hidden topic that some have considered
a ‘taboo’, particularly in the workplace.3
It is often not taken seriously or can even
be a source of ridicule. The Irish Congress
of Trade Unions in Northern Ireland4 found
that almost half of respondents reported
that menopause had been treated as a
‘joke’ in their workplace and 28% said that
menopause was treated negatively in the
workplace. This culture needs to be chal-
lenged and menopause must be recognised
as an important issue at work.
The INMO has taken the lead and was
one of the first organisations to raise men-
opause as a significant occupational health
issue affecting women. As an initial step,
the INMO published a position statement
on ‘Menopause at Work’ in October 2019
(available on www.inmo.ie). The pandemic
has limited the opportunity to campaign
on this issue. However, it is expected that
this will be an issue of increasing impor-
tance in 2022.
Methodology and methods
An online survey was conducted to gain
an understanding of nurses and midwives’
experience of menopause in the workplace.
The information will be used to inform
the INMO strategy for raising awareness
and to campaign for greater support for
women in the workplace. This survey was
conducted with the support of the Meno-
pause Hub.
This cross-sectional online survey was
conducted during September to October
2021 using Survey Monkey. The survey
was conducted over 10 days and was open
to all nurses and midwives in Ireland.
INMO members were contacted via the
membership database and the survey was
promoted in the weekly INMO update to
members and via social media.
The survey response was anonymised to
ensure privacy and confidentiality. No per-
sonal details were required as part of the
survey. Consent was implied once partici-
pants made the decision to complete the
survey. The overall survey took approxi-
mately eight minutes to complete.
The survey was divided into four sections
(demographics, ‘experience of menopause’,
menopause in the workplace, and quality of
professional life). This report focuses on the
demographics, ‘experience of menopause’,
menopause in the workplace questions.
The results from the Professional Quality
of Life (ProQual) and the correlation with
other menopause measures will be reported
separately. In total, there were seven
demographic questions, five ‘experience of
menopause’ questions, 11 menopause in
With women representing 90% of active NMBI registrants, menopause
in the workplace is an important issue for the INMO. Steve Pitman
and Niamh Adams report on a recent membership survey
Table 1: Demographic breakdown of survey respondents
Age (%)
Under 26 3 (0.3)
26-30 4 (0.4)
31-35 3 (0.3)
36-40 12 (1.2)
41-45 98 (9.4)
46-50 289 (27.7)
51-55 366 (3 5.0)
56-60 221 (21.2)
61-65 44 (4.2)
66+ 2 (0.2)
Missing 1 (0.1)
Total 1,043 (100)
Registration (%)
type
RGN 927 (89.2)
RM 193 (18.6)
RPN 29 (2.8)
RCN 90 (8.7)
RNID 59 (5.7)
RPHN 55 (5.3)
RNT 14 (1.35)
RNP 43 (4.1)
RAN/MP 33 (3.2)
Sex (%)
Female: 1,036 (99.3)
Male: 4 (0.40)
Prefer not
to say: 2 (0.2)
Not listed: 1 (0.1)

the workplace questions and 30 ProQual
questions. The majority of questions in this
section were categorical (yes or no, cate-
gory selection) or ordinal/ranking scales.
Results
In total, there were 1,045 respondents to
the survey. The demographic breakdown is
provided in Table 1. It is important to note
that responses were not compulsory for
each question, which resulted in variances
between different total responses.
The majority of respondents were regis-
tered general nurses (89%) who worked in
the public sector (91%). The employment
grade of respondents was spread from
student nurse (0.2%) to directors of nurs-
ing/midwifery (1.45%). The largest groups
were senior enhanced nurses/midwives
(21%), CNM/CMM2 (18%) and senior staff
nurse/midwife (17%). Respondents worked
in a variety of specialties. The highest num-
bers worked in care of the older person
(13%), medical/surgical (10%) and ‘other’
(27%). The highest level of educational
qualification of respondents was Level 8
(51%) and then Level 9 (49%).
Experience of menopause
When asked what best describes your
menopause status, the highest figures were
reported as ‘Post-menopause – no periods
for 12 months’ (46%) and ‘Perimenopause
– still having periods and in the lead up
to menopause’ (35%). Almost half of
respondents reported that they were ‘not
at all prepared’ (48%) for menopause. In
contrast, 45% reported being ‘somewhat
prepared’ for menopause.
When asked if they had received any edu-
cation or information about menopause,
46% received ‘a little’ and 29% ‘a moder-
ate amount’. Under 10% received ‘a lot’ or
‘a great deal’ of education or information.
More than 87% of respondents reported
that they have menopausal symptoms,
while 7% did not know. A significant 59%
described their menopausal symptoms as
moderate, while 18% described their symp-
toms as ‘severe (debilitating)’ (see Figure 1).
Menopause in the workplace
Over 90% reported that their menopau-
sal symptoms affected them while at work.
Some 17% indicated that they had missed
work due to their menopause symptoms,
with 43% of this group reporting they had
missed approximately five days due to
symptoms. The majority (63%) did not tell
their employer why they took time off. The
overwhelming majority (82%) of respond-
ents in this group have considered leaving
their job or reducing their hours of work
because of menopause symptoms.
Just under one-third (31%) of the over-
all respondents were ‘not very confident’
about discussing menopause in the work-
place. Approaching two-fifths (37%) did
not feel confident discussing menopause
with their line manager.
Overwhelmingly (88%), respondents
would like to see their organisation intro-
duce menopause awareness and training
for staff. A similar number (87%) would
like to see their workplace implement a
menopause at work policy.
Discussion
The response to this survey, over such
a short period, underlines the importance
of menopause in the workplace as an issue
for nurses and midwives. More than 80%
of respondents are either perimenopau-
sal or postmenopausal. The vast majority
reported menopausal symptoms, with
nearly one in five reporting their symptoms
as severe and debilitating.
The need for greater education and sup-
port to prepare women for menopause
was clear. While raising awareness and
acknowledging menopause is a broader
societal issue, employers can take the lead
in creating a healthy, menopause-friendly
work environment.
Menopause is an important occupational
issue. Women experience menopausal
symptoms at work, which can affect their
work performance. Two in five nurses and
midwives reported that they had taken five
or more days of sick leave due to meno-
pausal symptoms. Many women are not
confident about discussing menopause at
work. This may be due to embarrassment
or that the topic has traditionally been
considered a ‘taboo’, something to be
ignored or should just be ‘put up with’.
Beyond the individual experience of
menopause, there are significant impli-
cations for the retention of nurses and
midwives. In response to the global
shortage of nurses and midwives, health
systems must consider the factors that
influence the decisions of nurses and mid-
wives to leave the professions. One of
the factors that needs to be considered is
FOCUS 23
WIN Vol 30 No 2 March 2022
Mild
23%
Severe
(debilitating)
18%
Moderate
59%
Figure 1: If you have symptoms how would you describe them?
Figure 2: Do your symptoms affect you when you are working?
YES
90%
N0
10%

24 FOCUS
WIN Vol 30 No 2 March 2022
the impact of menopause symptoms on
decisions to reduce hours or leave. The rec-
ognition of menopause in the workplace as
an issue and the implementation of men-
opause-friendly workplaces is a positive
intervention that can support nurses and
midwives to continue practising for longer.
The successful implementation of
effective and meaningful menopause
in the workplace policies needs to be
underpinned by statutory recognition of
menopause as an equality issue. This will
require recognition and political willpower
to drive an agenda of change at govern-
mental level.
Menopause affects all women at some
stage in their life. Nursing and midwifery are
overwhelmingly female professions and this
makes it an important issue for the INMO.
The INMO was one of the first organisa-
tions in Ireland to introduce menopause at
work position statement. This was a marker
of the commitment of the INMO to raising
the profile of menopause and to campaign
for health service employers to develop and
implement menopause in the workplace pol-
icies to support women at work. The INMO
believes that the profile of menopause in the
workplace needs to be acknowledged, rec-
ognised as an important occupational and
human resource issue, and for resources to
be invested in supporting women
Recommendations
The following recommendations are
informed by the 2021 Global consen-
sus recommendations on menopause in
the workplace: A European Menopause
and Andropause Society (EMAS) position
statement.5
That healthcare employers should:
• Introduce menopause in the workplace
health and wellbeing policies and frame-
works to support women at work
• Develop inclusive workplaces that are
open, inclusive and create a supportive
culture regarding menopause
• Develop initiatives and training to raise
the profile of menopause as a workplace
issue
• Ensure that women are not discrimi-
nated against, marginalised or dismissed
because of menopausal symptoms
• Develop work environments and prac-
tices that are menopause friendly. These
can include improvements in airflow,
access to water and the implementation
of uniforms that take into consideration
symptoms of menopause
• That government introduces legislation
that recognises menopause at work as
an equality issue that affects women.
This should include provision for men-
opause-related leave and support for
women reducing working hours or other
work arrangements without implications
for pension entitlements.
Steven Pitman is INMO head of education and Niamh
Adams is INMO librarian
References
1. Jack G, Riach K, Hickey M, Griffiths A, Hardy C,
Hunter M. Menopause in the workplace: Building
evidence, changing workplaces, supporting women.
Maturitas. 2021 Sep 1;151:63-4
2. NICE 2015. Menopause: diagnosis and management.
National Institute for Health and Care London: Excellence.
Accessed online 16 March 2022 https://www.nice.org.uk/
guidance/ng23/resources/menopause-diagnosis-and-
management-pdf-1837330217413
3. Grandey AA, Gabriel AS, King EB. Tackling taboo
topics: a review of the three M s in working women’s lives.
Journal of Management. 2020 Jan;46(1):7-35
4.ICTU. How does the menopause affect Women in the
workplace? Results from an ICTU Survey. Belfast: Irish
Congress of Trade Unions Northern Ireland Committee,
2018 accessed on 16/11/2021 @ https://www.ictuni.org/
publications/ictu-menopause-survey-results
5. Rees M, Bitzer J, Cano A et al. Global consensus
recommendations on menopause in the workplace: A
European Menopause and Andropause Society (EMAS)
position statement. Maturitas. 2021 Sep 1;151:55-62
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