64% of women aren’t aware that their symptoms are linked to Menopause. Of those who are aware, 84% said Menopause impacted their work negatively, and only 15% were able to tell their employers about the struggles they were experiencing. Discussions around Menopause are becoming more common within New Zealand. You might be asking, well what does this have to do with my organisation? With an aging population, and a new generation focused on your moral compass, it’s critical that you’re aware of and can support your people during this stage of their life, which can last up to 15 years. We’re proud to have an evolving awareness of Menopause at Find Recruitment, and to discuss this with Danae Young and Sheronika Shandil who are approaching this stage in their life.
Starting today, in line with our other D,E&I commitments, we’re proud to announce that we’ll be rolling out a new option on our consent form for those experiencing Perimenopause or Menopause to safely and confidentially disclose this to us if they wish to do so.
‘We see so many amazing women who, despite amazing careers and CVs, will experience brain-fog or flushes on the day of the interview. Sometimes having the opportunity to disclose this can be very cathartic and actually help them to feel understood. It’s not about giving a free-pass, but more being considerate for what the individual is going through. This applies to both sides of the interview table.’ – Danae Young
Brain-fog has become something that many people have experienced in the last few years, owing to the lingering side effects of COVID-19, and so it may be easy to dismiss your symptoms as being related to this. ‘The key difference I’ve found, having had both, is that Menopausal brain-fog affects short and long-term memory, whereas COVID brain fog is usually isolated’ Sheronika says, ‘You’ll forget the names of people that you would normally recall, and it doesn’t get better like COVID. If you don’t sleep, or are reacting to alcohol then it gets worse. You’ll be mid-sentence and won’t just forget a word or a name but will forget everything you’re discussing. I’ve ended up relying on my diary to keep track of everything so when it happens, I can note where I was at and carry on.’
‘You can go into a zone of self-doubt’ Danae started, ‘you’ll often wake up knowing that it’s one of those days, and you feel like you just want to fly under the radar.’ Addressing stigma is never an easy subject, however it’s important to recognise it in your business and seek to eliminate it. Comments like ‘Everyone goes through it, so what’s the big deal?’ inflict more damage than may first be apparent. Studies have shown that experiences of Menopause vary from person-to-person, triggered by extreme bodily change, oestrogen reduction and vitamin deficiencies. 'All my life I’ve never had pain in my body, however, I am now at the physio as this is one of the ways in which my menopause is manifesting.’
Looking around your workplace, are you prepared to support a team member who suddenly starts to experience Menopausal symptoms? What about a candidate who comes in for an interview? Flexibility is often noted as a critical support mechanic that can make a massive difference. It’d be case-by-case, but not having to take a bus in, or be in crowds, or deal with the stress of rushing to a city-centre office, can give Menopausal women the space they need to recover on the toughest days.
The simplest of tasks will start to become arduous, and between broken sleep, irregular reactions to things like caffeine or alcohol and unwarranted weight gain, it can feel like an uphill battle. ‘I usually have a lot of confidence in myself’ Sheronika notes, ‘but I find that I need to double-check everything, especially when it comes to things around the house. The anxiety it triggers is horrendous – especially when you’ve never had something like that in the past. It just appears out of nowhere.’
‘You’ll be faced with things you’ve never experienced before – rage, anxiety, extreme intolerance and self-doubt – and will feel totally alone’. Danae continued, ‘You’ll be asking yourself ‘Am I depressed?’ and often if you go to a doctor on one of your down days, they’ll validate that without considering your age or proximity to Menopause, or other hormonal changes.’ Education is critical and so important. It’s about having more than just a policy but taking actual steps to support your people – both those who may experience Menopause and those who are in proximity. It’s equally important that people in every role of an organisation are aware of what this means, and how to be supportive for the person.
Menopausal individuals will experience many, variable symptoms, in variable degrees of severity. Fatigue will come out of nowhere. ‘You suddenly find that you urgently need to sleep. It’s painful to fight it and stay awake and you’ll start to feel really sick. I’ve found that getting outside for some fresh air and moving around helps to mitigate this some of the time.’ Sheronika says, ‘The fact it comes out of nowhere can be the worst part. Imagine going for an interview, and suddenly you’re overwhelmed by this intense fatigue. Not to mention that stress compounds the symptoms, and it’s so easy to get overwhelmed.’
Give them the space to understand what is going on in their body and mind, and then the support to come speak to you about it, if they wish. ‘I think women are more frequently wanting to talk about it [Menopause]. You feel like a lesser version of yourself – like the real you has been locked away – and often you just want to be given the opportunity to talk about it, without judgement.’
‘Once I accepted my symptoms, and actually listened to my body, I could identify what was going on and then make practical changes to help make things better’ Sheronika added at the end, speaking of the mental toll it takes to find information, and to understand what is happening to your body. Often the symptoms come on suddenly and severely – there’s no guideline for when exactly things will start to kick off for any individual, ‘There’s not much information out there about how Menopause should behave, and you’ll often be the one who has to reach out for support. Once I knew it was Menopause and accepted that fact, I was able to talk to my doctor and explore things like HRT to help rebalance my body.’
By creating the availability for your people to embrace flexibility and to communicate when they are ready, you can create a Menopause-friendly workplace. Individuals who feel seen and acknowledged are more likely to stay in their role and continue contributing to their business, rather than looking for an alternative, or dropping out of the market altogether. A workplace culture and environment that is designed to help your people succeed will mean your people can perform at their best, and feel trusted to communicate.
Considering what Wellness offerings your business has in place is also a good place to start. Wellness Days are something we offer here at Find, which are a paid quarterly 'for any reason' day that our people can take. Additional enhancements like this mean that our people can focus on their wellbeing and be their best selves at work.
Approximately 350,000 women in New Zealand are swiftly approaching the age bracket for Menopause – usually mid-to-late 40’s and 50’s. What would happen to your business should all the women suddenly leave? 1 in 6 women in New Zealand expressed that they consider leaving their role due to misunderstanding and micro-aggressions around their Menopause. People tend to not be aware of the damage a comment such as ‘Oh, you don’t look menopausal’ can actually do to someone who is potentially already feeling low about themselves. Helping your people to have the conversation is significant also. Not every person will want to discuss their Menopause and it’s important to respect those boundaries, but making it known that your door is open, and the conversation can be had is essential.
‘It took me a while to accept it and to talk to my leader about it, but I’m really glad that I did. They now know what I’m going through, and have Menopausal women in their family also, so there’s an element of understanding and sympathy, which really helps on the toughest days.’ – Sheronika Shandil
Alongside our partners at the Gender-at-Work Community, we are committed to delivering education and support for those experiencing Menopause. If you’re looking for a new job and are in this stage of your life, we want to help. Click here to view roles, or reach out to Danae or Sheronika to chat about how to progress your journey.
Looking for something engaging to do? Test your knowledge of Menopause with this great Quiz from our partners at the Gender-at-Work Community!
Thanks for your interest in what we do here at FIND. We love meeting and helping amazing kiwis every day and will always do our best for our clients and candidates. We've been simplifying the recruitment game since 2008, so don't hesitate to get in touch if you need our help!
