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Menopause, a natural stage in every woman’s life, has become an increasingly important issue for companies seeking to foster work environments that are not only inclusive, but supportive as well. Recognizing the importance of the health and well-being of their employees, many organizations are keen to plan specific actions and initiatives for employees facing menopause, recognizing it as an emerging frontier of corporate benefits.
According to recent statistics, more than 1.2 billion women around the world are going through menopause or will enter it in the coming decades. This transition phase, which generally occurs between the ages of 45 and 55, can bring with it symptoms such as hot flashes, sleep disturbances, mood swings, and low energy — challenges that can directly impact productivity, engagement, and well-being. Employees in the workplace.
Moreover, many women say that they feel embarrassed to say that they are going through this period, and they end up hiding information in the workplace, even out of embarrassment regarding their age.
Symptoms hinder work
A recent Mayo Clinic study showed that 15% of women had at least one negative episode at work due to menopausal symptoms in the past year. These events include lost days of work, reduced hours, dismissal or resignation.
The study confirms that the loss of productivity costs these women about 8.9 billion Brazilian riyals. Scientists from the United Kingdom found that women who at the age of 50 suffer from any symptom of menopause, affecting their quality of life, have a 43% chance of giving up their career by the age of 55.
Marcia Cunha, Founder and CEO Break periodthe first Brazilian femtech company focused on supporting post-menopausal women, highlights that society’s judgments about mature women are what make it difficult for women to go through this stage.
“The hormonal decline generates several changes in the body and emotion, and the lack of information only negatively affects this process. This is what we want to change,” she explained. “Providing information and support, so that women who are going through menopause and women who are about to enter menopause can “Prepare themselves, to the point that physical symptoms do not interfere with their daily life and mental health.”
46% feel less productive during menopause
Femtech recently interviewed over 7,000 women here in Brazil, and discovered that 46% of them feel less productive at work, 10% have reduced the number of hours they work per week, while 2% have turned down promotions or job offers, and 3% have turned down promotions. Or job offers. to resign.
As many companies seeking to attract and retain talent have expanded their benefits offerings to include fertility-related services and paid maternity and paternity leave programs, some have begun to incorporate targeted menopause support.
The startup estimates that companies offering benefits focused on post-menopausal women are also a criteria for entry into job openings.
“There is a tendency for companies to look closely at this need to attract women in their available positions, as well as retain talent, both for women who are going through menopause, as well as women who are not there yet, but will look at this.” As a future career plan, just as today they look at how the company deals with the issue of maternity leave and support for mothers, even before pregnancy,” says Carla Moselli, co-founder of Plenapausa.
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