Globally, the workforce is aging. In the Group of Seven (G7) countries, workers 55 or older will make up more than 25% of the workforce by 2031, with some countries like Japan seeing 40% of workers being in this age bracket by the same time. With this change comes the need to accommodate the medical and work needs of those aging workers, especially women.
A Major Bodily Shift
Menopause, the point in a woman’s life when menstruation ceases, affects all women on average around age 52, according to the Cleveland Clinic. This life transition comes with some debilitating symptoms, such as night sweats, joint and muscle pain, and cognitive changes, including difficulty concentrating. This means menopause can affect a woman’s quality of life as well as her ability to work. In a study from the Women’s Health Concern in the UK, 45% of women said menopause impacted their work, and 47% said they needed time off because of their symptoms. Luckily, in the US, a legal precedent was set in 2022 that said menopausal symptoms could be considered a disability if the symptoms were severe enough. Still, there is much more that needs to be done.
Credit: Menopause in the workplace via IPSOS
Ageist and Misogynistic Biases Combine
Menopause is costly. According to the Mayo Clinic, in the US, menopause results in roughly 1.8 million dollars worth of lost work time every year, which increases to 26.6 billion when medical expenses are considered. Just like how mothers experience a salary penalty when they have kids, women going through menopause also experience their own penalty. Around four years after the onset of menopause, women’s earnings drop by 10%. The menopause penalty also includes reduced employment rates as the rates of women exiting the workforce and filing for disability increase. Shockingly, these economic losses were worse in workforces with large numbers of female workers ages 45 and older, showing there may even be a lack of understanding within their own demographic.
According to Stanford’s Menopause Penalty study, supporting women through this life transition is crucial economically, since 60% of the US workforce is made up of older women. However, if 45% of women won’t even discuss menopause with their doctor, they are unlikely to bring it up with their employer. Companies have to make it easier for women to discuss this life transition. Studies have found that increased manager awareness, as well as more flexible hours, are the most effective ways to support women through menopause. There are ways to make the work environment feel more comfortable and inviting as well, such as having better ventilation, temperature control, and allowing workers to dress comfortably or having more breathable uniforms.
Nobody Can Avoid Aging. Stop Punishing Those Who Are.
With the workforce aging and the global birth rates declining, it’s vital that older workers’ needs are prioritized, especially as these workers go through huge life transitions. In a world where fertility is prioritized more than women, it can feel like there is no support or value being given to women who no longer have their fertility. Without the support of companies, this talent pool will be hard to tap into or keep longterm.
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