Flicking through the headlines, you could be forgiven for thinking that menopause is something everyone is comfortable talking about, and a natural life stage all employers are set-up to support. In reality, around one in six working women consider leaving their jobs due to menopause symptoms.

Given that menopause affects half of the population at some point in their lives, it’s a key driver of the gender pension gap, estimated at between 34.2% and 40.5% in the UK. And with people living longer lives, it’s critical we act quickly to help more women enjoy sustained fulfilling careers for as long as they wish.

We want Phoenix to be the best place any of us have ever worked, in every life stage, so menopause awareness and support are an important part of our Wellbeing programmes – both for those experiencing symptoms and their managers.

Menopause is a normal part of life, but the symptoms aren’t yet universally understood, and the knock-on effects in terms of self-confidence, mental health, and relationships can be debilitating. The key is to make it a subject that no one is afraid to talk about, giving colleagues the confidence to ask for help if they need it.

Laura’s peri-menopause symptoms started early and took some time to diagnose:

“I started noticing my anxiety at work peaking, I couldn’t work out why I kept forgetting things and was constantly overwhelmed. I was dreading telling anyone, the weight of the change in me was a lot. But I knew I needed to confront it, so I spoke to my manager to see what help I could get.”

Happily, Laura’s manager, Chris, was aware of the support on offer at Phoenix through the work of our Wellbeing Team and Menopause Advocates. His first step was to attend a Menopause awareness course for Managers. He then initiated various adjustments to help Laura feel more comfortable at work – from a dedicated desk and fan, to arranging sessions with an Occupational Health nurse, enabling a reduced workload, flexible working hours and an extended training period in her new role. He also referred her to the company’s Private Medical Insurance provider for personalised menopause treatment and support for additional tests.

For Laura, while not a quick fix, the outcome has been hugely positive:

"It has empowered me to keep pushing myself to deal with these issues and get back to my old self, or an even better version!”

For Chris, dedicated training has proven invaluable to creating an environment where his team feel comfortable to speak openly about personal issues like menopause:

“The more you know, the better you'll be able to empathise and support any females in your team that are at this stage. It’s important to remember that menopause is a biological process, not an illness or a problem that needs fixing.”