Suffolk Libraries and Suffolk Mind are encouraging employers to become Menopause Friendly
According to them, 1 in 10 women leave the workplace due to peri-menopausal symptoms
Suffolk Libraries in partnership with Suffolk Mind are encouraging employers to support their employees in the workplace going through menopause with their 'Menopause & Me' project. 'Menopause & Me' project.
The project provides support, guidance and resources to people in Suffolk experiencing menopause and perimenopause and is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care.
They are working with local businesses and people with lived experience of menopause to increase awareness and understanding of the impact of menopause and make sure everyone in Suffolk feels supported, including producing a range of dedicated free resources, all designed to support employers and people who may be affected by the menopause.
They told us 1 in 10 women leave the work place due to peri-menopausal symptoms
Nicole Smith is the 'Menopause and Me' project lead at Suffolk Libraries, she told us there are 34 symptoms involved in menopause, but this number may actually be higher "depending on what you read" and the symptoms can vary from person to person.
"One person's experience of the menopause will be exactly the same as another person.
"Some people, luckily will just sail through it. Other people experience a range of symptoms and equally, these symptoms can change over time."
There are just a few examples below.
- "Hot flashes- people's faces going bright red, getting hot and sweaty.
- Heart palpitations
- Brain fog
- Night sweats
- People often have problems with their skin.- Dry and itchy skin can be a problem."
Nicole explained to us that these symptoms can maybe very difficult to manage and have large impacts on your "day-to-day functions."
In her own experience, Nicole revealed there were days when she felt "really fatigued" and "didn't feel like going to work."
She also explained that some people may find it difficult to speak to their line bosses or managers about it because "you might not want them to think differently about you and that perhaps you're not as capable as you were."
What can employers do to help?
Suffolk Libraries provides resources to companies in which they can better understand how menopause impacts people as well as the measures they can introduce to help their employees.
Companies can send employees to a training programme Suffolk Libraries offers.
This can help "managers to be confident in having conversations with their staff about the symptoms they might be experiencing and the impact this is having on them in the workplace.
"And having discussions with their staff about what changes could be made to help them stay in the workplace."
Nicole went on to say it's not just women who are affected, "everybody is affected... everybody's got a wife, a mother, a sister, a colleague who might be going through this.
"So it's important that people understand how people might be affected, but also how they can support them."