Employers warned not to overlook psychological impact of menopause

Employers are being warned they risk losing menopausal staff if they fail to acknowledge and support the psychological symptoms of the condition alongside the physical.

Digital health app Peppy has said employees will simply take more sickness absence or leave an employer altogether if the mental as well as physical side-effects of menopause are not properly recognised and supported by employers.

While many employers have taken great strides in recognising the physical manifestations of menopause – such as hot flushes – the psychological effects are still under-recognised, often misdiagnosed and therefore wrongly treated, leading to a greater impact on businesses, it has said.

Yet memory loss, low self-esteem, disturbed sleep, poor concentration and feelings of dread, anxiety and rage are all commonplace in staff experiencing menopause.

The most common misdiagnosis of these symptoms is depression, with many people being wrongly treated with anti-depressants or sleeping tablets, Peppy has outlined.

When an individual’s menopause symptoms are misunderstood or mismanaged, it means normal workplace tasks and activities – such as writing a report, attending a meeting, or giving a presentation – can feel uncharacteristically overwhelming.

This can lead to unnecessary staff absences and potential resignations if staff feel unable to cope in the long term.

Kathy Abernethy, director of menopause services at Peppy, said: “Menopausal symptoms can have an unexpected impact on the mind and mood of employees and so it’s vitally important that employers understand the physical and psychological effects as they can be unsettling and have just as much impact on work, relationships and daily life as the better-known physical symptoms.”

Alongside ensuring HR and line managers are up to speed, it is imperative employers put in place health promotion and education to encourage better understanding of menopause among all staff, Peppy added.

Abernethy said: “With it becoming increasingly difficult to get a GP appointment, employers have a great opportunity to step in and support their menopausal staff so that they can receive timely and specialist support from practitioners who are experts in the field and have a greater depth of knowledge about both the physical and psychological aspects of menopause. Not only will this directly improve the quality of life for their staff but there will be a great deal less disruption for the employer too.

“There is nothing to lose and everything to be gained from having a workforce better educated about menopause including both the psychological impact of the conditions and the potential for misdiagnosis,” she added.