"It's really important to consistently talk about
menopause in the workplace because women
going through this are right at the heart of
business and community," says Louise. "Likely to
be at the top of their career path and with plenty
of experience that is valuable to their employer,
they are key people to keep. It would be a huge
loss to a business if these experienced women
felt they had to leave or move on: employers
shouldn't risk losing people for the sake of
making some simple changes to help them
manage better in the workplace."
Louise struggled with two main menopause
symptoms at work: hot flushes and brain fog.
"Because of the public nature of my work, there
was literally nowhere for me to hide - it was
horrific," says Louise. "As my menopause was
affecting me at work, I had to say something. I
was dreading having an awkward conversation
with my boss but luckily it turned out to be fine."
However, Louise knows that not all women are so
fortunate. "I've spoken to many women who
feared they would be judged, demoted or sidelined because of their menopause symptoms with
many worrying that their responsibilities might be
taken away if their employers thought they were
no longer capable. I think it's important for
employers to make it clear that people won't be
discriminated against if they speak about their
menopause symptoms.
Read Louise's advise for
anyone going through the
menopause at work