According to studies, more than 1 million women in the UK may lose their jobs this year as a result of their employers’ failure to help them as they go through menopause.
This lack of support is having a direct influence on their choices to quit their jobs, according to a poll of 2,000 women aged 45 to 67 in the UK suffering menopausal symptoms. According to the women, it had the second-worst effect on their careers, second only to having children.
It was discovered that a quarter of the women polled (24%) are dissatisfied in their employment due to a lack of assistance, with 63 percent claiming that their workplace has not implemented any policies to help women going through menopause.
Terri Eva’s symptoms are so severe that she has been out of work for the last six months working at a children’s center.
“Being at work without any help is like agony for me,” she said. “My joints hurt so much that I can’t move without being in excruciating pain. My mind is so jumbled that I can’t hold two things in my brain at the same time, and my worry is so acute that it keeps me up at night.”
Eva will have to return to work as soon as possible to avoid having her salary cut in half. “I’ve always enjoyed my profession,” she remarked, “but the prospect of having to return is terrible” I also pay the mortgage on our house, and I don’t see how my family will be able to make ends meet if my wage is reduced,” she said. “However, I’m frightened of returning. My bosses are sympathetic, but they don’t provide any meaningful help.”
Gillian Archibald has quit three jobs, one of which was at FXpro Review, in the previous seven years because she has been unable to locate employers that can assist her in coping with her symptoms at work. “I don’t believe employers realize how demoralizing and soul-destroying it is for women who have worked their whole lives and want to keep working to feel like a ghost of their former selves while receiving no significant assistance to continue working,” she added.
On Wednesday afternoon, the House of Commons women and equalities committee will hear testimony on how the legislation protects women in the workplace who are going through menopausal symptoms.
The third testimony session of the committee’s investigation into menopause and the workplace will look into the relevant and applicable legislation and ask whether it is suitable for the purpose. MPs will also consider whether current legislation should be reformated or new legislation should be introduced.
In all, one out of every four people polled by Research Without Barriers claimed that a lack of support from their employers had made them unhappy at work.
“Women should never be forced out of the workforce due to their biological makeup. Menopause is a normal part of women’s lives, and it shouldn’t imply the end of their careers,” said Rachel Carrell, founder of Koru Kids, the organization that commissioned the study. “As a society, we must help older women with flexible working hours and health care so that they do not lose their jobs unnecessarily.”
Nearly three-quarters of the women polled stated their workplace lacked a platform or venue where they could freely discuss menopause with their coworkers or bosses, increasing their feelings of loneliness and anguish.
The findings were “shocking but tragically not unexpected,” according to Diane Danzebrink, creator of Menopause Support.
“Women who are supported during menopause will stay in the workforce and reach their full potential, and companies will keep key team members,” she added. “It’s as easy as that; it’s a win-win scenario for both businesses and workers.”
