Aristotle mentioned it, a French physician named it in 1821, and in the 1930s doctors thought it was a disease. But even after all these years, we\u2019re still not talking enough about menopause \u2014 and that\u2019s a costly problem for employers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even though it\u2019s a natural process (and definitely not a disease), menopause can come with symptoms that make it hard to manage work and everyday life. But the secrecy and stigma around menopause can make it difficult for people to find the support they need. And standard benefits packages don\u2019t offer much help, either. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For women, the result can be shame and frustration. For employers, ignoring menopause means lost productivity and employee turnover. For payers, it can mean higher medical spending.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At work, women face sexism (we still make 84 percent of what our male colleagues earn).1<\/sup> Then, as we reach the peaks of our careers, ageism kicks in. There are countless stories about women who hit 50-ish only to lose hard-earned standing at their jobs, or suddenly discover that it\u2019s much more difficult to find a new position.2<\/sup> <\/p>\n\n\n\n And then there\u2019s menopause. It\u2019s associated with both sex and age, along with the taboo topic of women\u2019s reproductive health. On top of that, the rare pop culture reference to menopause is almost always a character who\u2019s overly emotional and out of control. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Put all of these pieces together and it\u2019s no wonder people are reluctant to speak up about their experiences and needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since it\u2019s tough to even bring up menopause \u2014 and women have legitimate concerns about discrimination \u2014 many people manage this major life change in silence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Experts estimate that 85 percent of women who go through menopause have at least one related symptom.3<\/sup> Among the most common are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a 2021 survey of more than 5,000 women in various stages of menopause, three out of five said they\u2019d had to deal with difficult symptoms while on the job \u2014 and one in three actively worked to hide symptoms from their colleagues and managers. Almost half said they were afraid they\u2019d be stigmatized if people knew they were going through menopause.4<\/sup> <\/p>\n\n\n\n When people aren\u2019t supported through menopause, it impacts their employers and payers, too. According to research, women suffering from menopause symptoms have:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another study that included 17,322 women with diagnosed menopause found even higher costs, including increased medical expenses ($4,315 versus $2,972), pharmacy expenses ($1,366 versus $908), sick leave costs ($647 versus $599), and sick leave days (3.57 versus 3.3). 6<\/sup>\u00a0These costs translate to payers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Struggling through menopause can also take a toll on productivity and engagement. The same study found that employees with diagnosed symptoms had 10.9% lower annual productivity than people without symptoms.7<\/sup> On a global scale, experts estimate that those productivity losses cost upwards of $150 billion each year.8<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n Nearly 20 percent of U.S. workers with menopause symptoms have either quit or considered leaving a job because of their symptoms<\/strong>.9<\/sup> That\u2019s already more people than employers can afford to lose. But consider this: on average, symptoms start in a person\u2019s late 40s, when they are well into their careers. That means that without support, employers risk losing senior leaders with indispensable experience and knowledge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re ready to support employees through menopause, there are a few changes that can make all the difference:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The years of silence around women’s health have taken a toll. Employees have been asked to manage a tremendous amount of stress out of shame or risk of discrimination \u2014 and some have had to leave their jobs when the burden became too much. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But we can make a huge, positive change for a large and important segment of our population. We can make it okay to talk about menopause. We can make education accessible, so people know what to expect and how to get treatment if they need it. And we can create workplaces that support employees through their major life changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n October is World Menopause Awareness Month. What better time to invest in the culture shift and menopause care people need? It\u2019s a huge benefit to employees, and it\u2019s a smart way to save costs and attract and retain some of the very best talent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n About Ovia<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Ovia Health, a Labcorp subsidiary, has served more than 17 million family and parenthood journeys since 2012. Ovia’s dedication to women’s and family health is founded in evidence-based data. As a result, Ovia is the only digital health solution clinically proven to effectively identify and intervene with high-risk conditions. The company’s 50+ clinical programs, including predictive coaching and personalized care plans, help prevent unnecessary healthcare costs, improve health outcomes, and foster a family-friendly workplace that increases retention and return to work. For more information, visit www.oviahealth.com.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n 1: \u00a0Pew Research Center: https:\/\/www.pewresearch.org\/fact-tank\/2021\/05\/25\/gender-pay-gap-facts\/<\/a>\u00a0 Aristotle mentioned it, a French physician named it in 1821, and in the 1930s doctors thought it was a disease. But even after all these years, we\u2019re still not talking enough about menopause \u2014 and that\u2019s a costly problem for employers. Even though it\u2019s a natural process (and definitely not a disease), menopause can come […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":265608,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ovia_blog_author":"","ovia_blog_author_image":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[3480,3462,1],"tags":[3506,3568,3572,3614,3740,3780],"class_list":["post-265603","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article","category-enterprise","category-uncategorized","tag-broker-consultant-12","tag-employer","tag-health-plan","tag-outcomes","tag-retention","tag-womens-health-13"],"yoast_head":"\nWhat it\u2019s like to go through menopause without support<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The business costs of ignoring menopause<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Menopause matters for keeping some of your most valuable employees<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How to truly support employees<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Building the future of menopause at work<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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2: \u00a0Harvard Business Review: https:\/\/hbr.org\/2016\/03\/older-women-are-being-forced-out-of-the-workforce<\/a>\u00a0
3: \u00a0BMC Women\u2019s Health: https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC4542113\/<\/a>\u00a0
4: The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM): https:\/\/www.shrm.org\/resourcesandtools\/hr-topics\/behavioral-competencies\/global-and-cultural-effectiveness\/pages\/menopause-what-employers-need-to-know.aspx\u00a0
5: Sarrel, P., Portman, D., Lefebvre, P., Lafeuille, M.-H., Grittner, A. M., Fortier, J., Gravel, J., Duh, M. S., & Aupperle, P. M. (2015). Incremental direct and indirect costs of untreated vasomotor symptoms. Menopause (New York, N.Y.), 22(3), 260\u2013266. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1097\/GME.0000000000000320
6: Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine: https:\/\/journals.lww.com\/joem\/Abstract\/2013\/04000\/Direct_and_Indirect_Costs_of_Women_Diagnosed_With.14.aspx\u00a0
7: Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine: https:\/\/journals.lww.com\/joem\/Abstract\/2013\/04000\/Direct_and_Indirect_Costs_of_Women_Diagnosed_With.14.aspx
8: Bloomberg: https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2021-06-18\/women-are-leaving-the-workforce-for-a-little-talked-about-reason
9: The Society for Human Resource Management: https:\/\/www.shrm.org\/resourcesandtools\/hr-topics\/behavioral-competencies\/global-and-cultural-effectiveness\/pages\/menopause-what-employers-need-to-know.aspx\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"