Women, work and menopause
Academics at the Monash Business School have estimated there were 1.3 million Australian women between the ages of 45 and 55 who worked in the health and education sectors alone and one in four were likely to experience significant menopausal symptoms. Professor Kat Riach and her team of researchers spoke to more than 2,000 older women over five years about their experiences of menopause at work.
There are 34 different symptoms women can suffer during menopause, many of which can affect their work - such as fatigue, 'brain fog' and anxiety. However there are a number of practical measures employers can take to make workplaces 'menopause-friendly'. Professor Riach said it made economic sense, with some studies suggesting between 40 and 75 per cent of women said they felt menopause affected their productivity.
Read more: ABC news online. Free Monash University resources. Jean Hailes for Women's Health resources. TUC guide to supporting women through the menopause [pdf]