Menopause in the workplace
Once a topic shrouded in taboo and stigma, menopause is now a critical part of the wellbeing and DEI strategy for those organizations that understand how appropriate support and a culture that encourages normalizing the topic can contribute to improved productivity, employee wellbeing, retention, and engagement…
In this episode, Jill Ross and Sarah Garton from Accenture talk about their MenoWarriors initiative, and their own, very personal experiences of perimenopause. We also cover: the importance of male allies and how Accenture support male allies to confidently have those conversations in the workplace; how companies can support the emotional symptoms of menopause as well as the physical ones; the business case for making menopause an integral part of inclusion strategies; that businesses don’t necessarily need blockbuster budgets to make a big difference; geographical differences in opening up conversations in the workplace and how the UK is leading from the front; the impressive results of their survey that clearly demonstrate the impact of their work around menopause support on employee retention.
Closely followed by their colleague Leigh Walters-James - a key male ally for Accenture’s MenoWarriors initiative, who talks about his take aways from being involved, including: how important it is for men to learn about menopause so they can recognise if and when it impacts someone in their team; discuss it openly and often to help normalize it as a topic of conversation; share progress and best practice across office locations, and with customers where appropriate; don’t overthink it too much – just start somewhere – where that is will be different for each organization so do it in a way that works where you are; culture may not be as much of a barrier as you think it will; get comfortable being uncomfortable – listen for more on Leigh’s tips for involving male colleagues in the conversations; the critical role of male sponsors and top-down support; don’t ‘segregate’ sessions into those for just women or just men; breaking down the taboo also opens the door for men to be open and honest about their own health/mental health challenges, and their vulnerabilities: it’s a win-win!
In this episode we chat to Helen Tomlinson – Head of Talent Development at The Adecco Group and the government’s first ever Menopause Employment Champion. In this voluntary role, Helen’s focus is on encouraging employers to create more supportive environments to help women experiencing menopause to stay and progress in work. We cover the ‘less visible’ symptoms – loss of confidence, brain fog, not sleeping, anxiety – which can have more far-reaching impact than physical symptoms on those in more senior roles. Symptoms which are not only harder to articulate, but harder for employers to practically support with reasonable adjustments – which makes it even more important for employers to find individualized solutions to allow them to remain in their role. Helen gives us a great personal example of how a manager leaping into solution mode and making assumptions can actually be counter-productive. We also delve into the many ways companies can help create cultural change: senior people sharing their experiences; top-down support; vulnerable leadership modelling openness to others within the organization; allyship…
Dr Lucy Ryan set out to write her PhD on my so many midlife women were quitting the workplace - but she didn’t stop there, she turned her research into a fabulous book, entitles Revolting Women: Why midlife women are walking out and what to do about it… We talk about: the ‘tsunami of stuff’ that converges for many of us in midlife forcing many to a point where they feel they have no choice but to step out of their role; how elder care is ‘flying under the radar’ in terms of workplace policies; how the ‘Career Clock’ typically looks different for men and women; how women are ‘revolting’ against the insistence on full time work; her Ten Provocations for Change in organisations (including normalising conversations around menopause, adding gendered ageism to their diversity data, finding out why women are actually leaving, and conducting midlife check-ins for all employees); the need for conversation around creative solutions for job flexibility, squiggly careers and the 50 year career; and why sponsorship (as opposed to mentorship) matters so much.