2023-10-18 17:44:31
Each year, this obligatory passage and its uncontrolled symptoms take away no less than 3.5 billion dollars (G$) from the Canadian economy, according to an economic analysis by Deloitte commissioned by the Canadian Menopause Foundation. (Photo: 123RF)
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WAKE-UP-MORNING. Having your suit soaked in sweat due to a sudden heat wave in the middle of a meeting, or feeling drops beading on your forehead like in a sauna, this happened more than once to Sylvie Leduc while she was going through her menopause.
“It becomes difficult to manage, because certain symptoms are obvious to everyone,” reports the woman who worked in IT at the time. Every two or three days, I had terrible hot flashes. You have no choice, you have to get up and apologize, but you have to go outside even if you are in a business meeting.”
Not all menopauses have such debilitating effects, explains the woman who was then marketing director at BCE Emergis. However, on average, the 1,023 women aged 40 to 60 surveyed by Léger on behalf of the Canadian Menopause Foundation are bothered by seven different symptoms.
And a quarter of them try to hide them at work, we report in the study “Menopause and working life in Canada» broadcast on October 16, 2023.
Hot flashes occur in 62% of respondents, followed closely by sleep disorders in 57% of cases. Mood swings (39%) and anxiety (32%) were also mentioned.
Each year, this obligatory passage and its uncontrolled symptoms take away no less than 3.5 billion dollars (G$) from the Canadian economy, according to an economic analysis by Deloitte commissioned by the Canadian Menopause Foundation.
Of this figure, $3.3 billion is attributed to a “loss of income due to a reduction in the number of working hours and/or salary, or the decision to leave the world of work,” we can read. in the twenty-page report.
As women reach the peak of their careers, some will have to battle a range of symptoms that sometimes undermine their performance and their aspirations to the highest levels of their organization.
This is at least the case for a third of the elderly women surveyed.
“I had very strong symptoms, to the point where I was no longer able to work, like someone who has serious depression,” explains Sophie Vallerand, former anchor at LCN and now advisor. in psychosocial risks and organizational health.
More than 20% of respondents believe the menopause has undermined their career progression, while 10% say they have left the workforce due to the impact of uncontrolled menopausal symptoms.
Additionally, if they were better supported by their organization to navigate this period when debilitating symptoms can appear, 62% of those surveyed believe they might climb more corporate ladders.
They still need to dare to talk regarding it.
A taboo still present
The majority of people surveyed believe that organizations should support and support women going through menopause in the same way as pregnancy. However, 48% do not dare to share their condition.
In its study, the Foundation highlights that 40% of respondents believe that taboos are still very present with regard to menopause in their workplace.
In the early 2000s, “my colleagues looked at me as if they were saying, ‘what’s your problem?’ It’s certain that in areas where there is no gender equity, it must be worse,” believes Sylvie Leduc.
Certainly, each individual is responsible for adopting behaviors or carrying out medical monitoring in order to limit the sometimes disabling symptoms of menopause. However, simple gestures on the part of their employer can greatly help people going through this stage.
For example, a flexible schedule can be offered to them, or teleworking can be prioritized.
Sylvie Leduc and Sophie Vallerand both argue that working from home is a great asset in countering uncontrollable and unpredictable symptoms.
“It wasn’t menopause that led me to make a career change, but it sure did. [les horaires atypiques du journalisme], it was not easy. The flexibility of my schedule and teleworking allow me to adjust following nights of insomnia, or when the symptoms are very strong,” explains Sophie Vallerand, who doubts that she will be able to return to a work environment that requires face-to-face work. 40 hours per week.
Educating staff and managers, but also those primarily concerned, on what menopause is and the effects it can have on work performance are also suggested avenues.
To telework or not to telework, this is the question that is causing turmoil in many companies at the start of the 2023 school year.
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