IWD 2021: Challenging the stigma around menopause at work

Menopausal women are the fastest growing demographic in the workforce^*, and yet 6 in every 10 women feel their menopause symptoms had a negative impact on their work^**, and the majority of women don’t feel comfortable talking about menopause with their line managers^{^}.

With this year’s International Women’s Day theme being #ChooseToChallenge, we encourage you to #ChooseToChallenge the stigma that menopause can often carry.

Normalising conversations around menopause at work could help women feel more comfortable sharing their experiences with their managers and colleagues, ultimately helping them to get the support they need.

Our newly launched Women’s Health Hub provides a guide for managers (PDF 0.2MB), as well as a guide to share with your employees (PDF 0.3MB) to help support them and spread awareness and understanding of menopause. The hub also features videos of women sharing their personal experiences of menopause in and outside the workplace, Bupa experts sharing key information and advice, and numerous articles on the variety of topics and concerns that can arise with the menopause.

We’re continuously adding to our Women’s Health Hub, with resources to support with endometriosis coming in late March, so please remember to keep checking in here for more news and updates.

^* International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database. Data retrieved in September 20, 2020.

^** Let’s talk menopause. Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, published March 2019

^{^} Faculty of Occupational Medicine http://www.fom.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/Menopause-Focus-Infographic.pdf (PDF, 0.3MB)