Workplaces in Europe risk losing experienced staff to menopause

LONDON: Employers in Europe are being urged to do more to support women going through menopause, amid warnings that a lack of understanding and flexibility is driving experienced staff out of the workforce.

A 2024 report by the United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS) Confederation found that around 60,000 women were not employed due to menopausal symptoms, which include severe menstrual pain and heavy periods along with endometriosis, fibroids and ovarian cysts.

This translates to an estimated 1.5 billion pounds (US$2 billion) in lost economic potential each year, the study found. 

Healthcare worker Hazel Hayden experienced those challenges firsthand, trying to juggle work and family while going through menopause.

The former NHS nurse struggled with the lack of flexibility and support at work, before deciding to set up her own menopause clinic in Bristol.

“I asked if I could shorten my hours, but there was no allowance for that … by the time I finished at 6.30pm in the evening I was absolutely shattered,” she told CNA.

GLOBAL TALENT DRAIN

A 2022 study of more than 4,000 women experiencing menopause in the UK found that over half suffered from reduced motivation at work and a drop in confidence, and faced anxiety or depression. A quarter had to take time off due to their symptoms.

Globally, the United Nations Population Fund estimates 1.1 billion women will be going through menopause this year – a fifth of the world’s workforce, many of them reaching what should be the peak of their professional careers. 

But research shows most will be struggling with symptoms while at work, something campaigners in Europe are trying to tackle.

They stress the need for employees and managers to have basic knowledge of signs to look out for and, ideally, forge a work culture where those struggling can discuss what they are going through.

“You can't just expect a workplace to carry you through when you have symptoms that are due to a hormone deficiency,” said Louise Newson, a hormone specialist at Newson Clinic in Stratford-upon-Avon. 

“If someone had low iron and they were tired at work, you wouldn't just give them a cushion and let them lie down … you talk to them and say, well, maybe you can take some iron supplements. And that's exactly the same with conversations (about menopause).”

CHALLENGES IN FRANCE

In France, a new long-term study aims to better understand the impact of menopause and its management.

But women there may have to wait longer than those in the UK to access the latest pharmaceutical innovations. 

These include Lynkuet, a non-hormonal treatment for hot flushes by German pharmaceutical company Bayer, available since last year and already approved by Canada and the UK.

“France has been very late to the possibility of dispensing these drugs compared with other nations in Europe,” said Florence Tremollieres, president of the French Menopause Society. 

This is because even when a new drug is approved at the European Union level, the French administrative process to finalise pricing negotiations and get the product on the shelves takes longer than some European peers.

Campaigners warn that if governments and companies do not step up, women will continue to suffer unnecessarily – and businesses will lose a part of their most experienced workforce early.