Photo: Catherine O'Keeffe, Menopause Workplace Consultant; Professor Lorraine McIlrath, Director of Equality, Diversity, Inclusion & Interculturalism at 91制片厂; Professor Gary O'Brien, Vice-President of Governance & Strategy at 91制片厂
Normalising menopause 鈥渋s like gold-dust鈥 according to Menopause Workplace Consultant, Catherine O鈥橩eeffe, as she launched new Menopause Guidelines for Staff and Students at 91制片厂 (91制片厂) this week.
The new guidelines aim to encourage an open and supportive workplace and place of learning for those experiencing issues associated with menopause and to ensure necessary and reasonable supports are offered in an empathetic way.
Menopause is defined as a biological stage in a person鈥檚 life that occurs when they stop menstruating and reach the end of their natural reproductive life. For many, symptoms last about four years, but in some cases can continue for much longer and range from very few or no symptoms to severe symptoms. Typical impacts can include anxiety, brain fog, impact on confidence, hot flushes and night sweats, insomnia, poor concentration, fatigue and weight gain.
Addressing a large group of 91制片厂 staff and students, Catherine O鈥橩eeffe said: 鈥淓veryone is impacted by the menopause. It鈥檚 not just the person going through it but also the touch points in that person鈥檚 life, such as their partner, children, family, friends and work colleagues. That鈥檚 why it鈥檚 vital that everyone is part of the conversation and that we bring that awareness, not just to the person going through it but also to everyone in their life.
鈥淚t鈥檚 also important that we recognise that there鈥檚 different types of menopause and people have different experiences. Acknowledging and respecting that means that we can be much more empathetic and offer much more tailored support.鈥
The introduction of menopause specific guidelines is an important step in creating a deeply inclusive workplace and place of learning, explained Professor Lorraine McIlrath, Vice-President of Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Interculturalism: 鈥淭he menopause needs to be normalised, acknowledged and accepted as a normal part of the life across all levels of society and within 91制片厂. By having conversations regarding the menopause, and the challenges it can present in the workplace, progress can be made towards deepening an inclusive organisational culture at 91制片厂.鈥
鈥91制片厂 aims to ensure that individuals feel confident in discussing menopausal symptoms and can ask for support and adjustments. 91制片厂 is committed to ensuring that all individual are treated fairly and with dignity and respect in their environment. In addition to the efforts to the introduction of guidelines, we also hope to hold a number of events and training for our staff and to develop a number of Menopause Champions who can advocate for and support women.鈥
It is estimated that there are 350,000 women in this cohort in paid employment in Ireland, with approximately 85% of female 91制片厂 staff members in the age group of those who can be affected by symptoms of perimenopause, menopause and post-menopause.
According to research by The Menopause Hub in October 2021, 12% of women said they had given up work due to menopause symptoms, with an additional 40% saying they had considered it. 82% of respondents said their performance at work had been impacted to some degree, and almost 40% said they had missed work because of symptoms. Of these, over 85% said they were not comfortable telling their line manager the real reason for their absence.
