‘Difficult to Divulge’: The Impact of Organisational Silence around the Menopause

Abstract

This article presents an account of one woman’s experience of the menopause. Affecting 51% of the global population, menopause has the potential to negatively impact home and work life. Yet, the arrival of menopause can often be a surprise due to a lack of education and awareness. Over 63% of UK working women claim menopause has negatively affected their careers, yet only 30% of employers support women to work through the menopause, and the cost to business and to women’s health is significant. Shrouded in silence, the menopause is often misunderstood, and taboo exists. Therefore, women do not divulge, and many leave their jobs unsupported. Through Grace’s story, this article explores how women’s hormone health can affect work and by opening up conversations and raising awareness, as we have with mental health, it is possible to eradicate the silence behind the taboo.