Time To Open Up About Menopause In The Office

The workplace can be a difficult place to navigate for menopausal women. More employers need to Start conversations around their health

- Reem Khokhar

Asking people about menopausal support in their workplace elicits varied responses, most of them bordering on . mild confusion or a complete blank. "I've never thought about it"; "I didn't realise this was possible or available"; or "not relevant for me"-these are unsurprising responses, given that women's health, especially menopause, is usually not openly discussed at the workplace. Many individuals who reach the stage of menopause-the time when menstruation stops (occurs at a mean age of around 52 years), resulting in symptoms like hot flashes, vaginal dryness, sleep disturbances, anxiety and depression-prefer not to talk about it either.

Delhi-based education consultant Shivani Dayal Kapoor, for instance, says, "I wouldn't want any attention drawn to myself or my competency to be questioned." The 52-year-old would rather manage her symptoms privately, setting reminders to help her if she is forgetting something, or putting in more time to complete a task.

The reluctance to discuss menopause openly is understandable, considering its symptoms are often not acknowledged and are usually considered something to be hidden at work.

Last year, US non-profit Mayo Clinic concluded in a study that menopause symptoms have an impact on worker absenteeism, productivity, increased direct and indirect medical costs, and result in lost opportunities for career advancement. Plus, as Kapoor says, there is fear that conversations about menopause leave might make the employer feel it is more expensive or challenging to hire an older woman.

A year before Mayo, pharmaceutical company Abbott did a survey along with market research agency Ipsos, which spoke to 1,200 Indian women. Over 80% of those surveyed said menopause affected their work life, 18% worked through pain and other symptoms, and 26% took time off to manage the symptoms without divulging the cause.