Let's get involved: Menopause Awareness Month October 2022
What is the Menopause?
Menopause simply means the end of monthly periods, once the ovaries stop producing eggs the hormone levels start to drop and the cycle that used to produce a monthly period eventually stops.
Leading up to menopause is the peri menopause and this is when the hormone levels start to fluctuate, approximately 25% of women will experience very few symptoms and sometimes none. The other 75% will experience symptoms and for some they can be debilitating, affecting all aspects of their lives and those around them. Many women start to experience peri menopausal symptoms in their late thirties and early forties although they may not recognise them.
Why is talking about the Menopause important in the workplace?
According to the latest statistics, 1 in 3 women in the workforce will soon be over 50, as retirement age in the UK is pushed back. Those affected by the menopause often report:
- losing confidence in their skills and abilities in their role
- feeling like they need to take time off work and hide the reasons for it
- having increased mental health conditions such as stress, anxiety, and depression
- leaving their job due to their symptoms
In fact, 4 out of 5 women going through the menopause believe that their symptoms impact their ability to work at their best, and crucially 2 out of 5 women pass up the opportunity of promotion or actually leave their roles because of the menopause or perimenopause. This means that we are losing invaluable skills and experience from our workforce.
What is Menopause Awareness Month?
The purpose of Menopause Awareness Month is to dedicate time to better understanding the menopause agenda. Of course, it is not only during October that we should be learning more about the menopause, but it presents an excellent opportunity to get the conversation going across the university, raising awareness about how we can better support colleagues who are going through this experience.
What is the university doing to support?
Talking about the menopause is still seen as a more difficult topic and individuals often find themselves hiding their symptoms and suffering in silence. But there is lots of support here at the university. There are a range of workplace adjustments that can help support individuals experiencing menopausal symptoms, they might include:
- Providing fans for desks or desks nearest the window
- Providing more opportunities for toilet breaks or increased access to washroom facilities
- Making sure cold drinking water is available
- Thinking about any uniform required that might cause discomfort (i.e. make someone too hot) and see if this can be adapted
- Allowing more rest time if needed and appropriate, and somewhere suitable to rest, for example a quiet room
- Allowing flexible working – i.e. being flexible about start / finish times to help them manage their symptoms
- Allowing home working where practical to do so
- Changing certain duties in their role to help them manage their symptoms where appropriate
If you are experiencing difficulty at work due to your symptoms of the menopause, we strongly encourage you to have a conversation with your line manager about what can be put in place to help.
The university has signed the Menopause Workplace Pledge which is taking positive action to make sure everyone going through the menopause is supported. Menopause pledge values are:
- Recognising that the menopause can be a workplace issue and women need support
- Talking openly, positively and respectfully about the menopause
- Actively supporting and informing your employees affected by the menopause
How can you get involved?
You can get involved in supporting the menopause from right this second: reading this article is an excellent start to your journey in understanding the menopause. We then have a range of blogs, articles and events scheduled.
External speaker: Dr Ella Russell aka ‘The Yorkshire Menopause Doctor’, Wednesday 2nd November
Dr Ella Russell will be joining us to deliver 2 interactive sessions about the Menopause:
Menopause Awareness Workshop, Wednesday 2nd November, 1-2pm in Oastler room OA6/07.
This workshop will cover:
- What is the perimenopause and menopause, what are the symptoms, and what management and care options there are.
- Menopause in the workplace, the issues women face, issues workplaces face and the role menopause champions can play in supporting women.
This session is open to anyone that would like to know more about the menopause, including those experiencing the menopause, line managers, those with colleagues, friends, mums, wives, sisters, aunties (etc etc) who are affected, or anyone that wants to know more!
Register for this workshop here
Menopause Q&A, Wednesday 2nd November, 2:30pm-3:30pm in Oastler room OA6/07
This session will offer the opportunity for participants to ask anything they would like about hormone health, perimenopause and menopause. Nothing is off limits.
If you would like to submit your questions in advance, you can do so by emailing staff.wellbeing@hud.ac.uk Dr. Ella has told us that if recurring themes are identified, she will be sure to cover them in the session.
This session is aimed at those experiencing the menopause or peri-menopause, but it is open to anyone with questions about this topic that they would like to put to a medical expert.
Register for this Q&A event here
Menopause Support Group
The Staff Wellbeing team will be hosting 2 talk and support group sessions, 1 in-person and 1 virtually. This group is open to colleagues who are directly and indirectly affected by the menopause. It is an excellent space to hear other people’s experiences, share your own and ask questions amongst your peers. If you would like to join a session, please email staff.wellbeing@hud.ac.uk
We also have a Microsoft Team’s channel that is available to join, please email staff.wellbeing@hud.ac.uk to be added
Active Hud: Free gym sessions and inductions for those experiencing the menopause
Being physically active can help with some of your menopause symptoms. Regular exercise can:
- lift your mood
- improve your self-esteem
- help you to sleep
- reduce anxiety
Sometimes it can be difficult to have a regular exercise routine due to lack of time, motivation, and confidence to step into a gym or even just outside for a walk. Active Hud would like to support Menopause Awareness Month by helping more people access have access to regular exercise.
For the month of October, Active Hud will be offering free access gym sessions between 7:00-9:00am on:
- Tuesday 18th October
- Tuesday 25th October
Active Hud are also offering a free induction meeting at 7:45am or 8am every Tuesday in October for anybody who would like to have a chat before using the gym. If you have been thinking about joining the gym here at the university, this is an excellent opportunity to try it out and speak to Active Hud staff members.
If you would like to register for a free access pass, please contact Staff.Wellbeing@hud.ac.uk
If you would like any more information about the sessions, please contact N.Sinclair@hud.ac.uk
Get Set Goal 1:1 sessions available
Menopause and perimenopause symptoms can have a big impact on a person’s daily life, including relationships, social life, family life and work. People may experience changes to mood, problems with memory or physical symptoms such as difficulty sleeping, weight gain and muscle aches and pains. There are lots of things that can help with managing these symptoms including eating healthily and exercising regularly, but sometimes we need a little bit of extra support to work towards making changes to our lifestyle.
This is where Get Set Goal can help. They offer a series of personalised 1-1 sessions and a plan to help you identify and work towards your goals, and supporting you to take control of your menopause symptoms. Book onto a session today!
Menopause Workshop, hosted by Get Set Goal
Wednesday 26th October 10am – 12pm (on campus) Book your place via the Get Set Goal webpages under Workshops
Blogs
We have 4 fantastic colleagues sharing their personal experience of their journey through the menopause. We will be sharing 1 blog a week and they can be found on our new staff wellbeing blog page and the ‘Staff Notices’ section on the staff hub homepage. Our first and second blog is shared by Emma ‘It’s a Menopause Revolution!’ and Nikki ‘Aching like I’m 80 – Why menopause isn’t an age issue.’
External Events
There are lots of events happening this month for menopause awareness. Take a look in your local area as there are events such as regular menopause café meets. Below are some suggestions of in-person and virtual events to get involved in:
Kirklees Women Centre, The Menopause Project, café meet-ups Facebook page.