Breaking the Silence: Menopause Conversations at Work

I recently heard someone say: “As a leader, you can’t change the whole world, but you can have a powerful impact if you inspire and empower others to create positive change within their spheres of influence.”

Those words rang true as I reflected on another year of promoting menopause conversations within the workplace. In the last academic year, we have held six Menopause Cafés, in which informal peer support and advice has helped people to seek appropriate medical care, to start conversations with work colleagues and to deal with imposter syndrome and memory problems. These cafés follow the format and guidance set out in the national menopause café scheme which advocate for the café to be a group discussion with no preset agenda, where the topics are chosen by the participants on the day. The programme of cafés for 2024/25 academic year is being planned, the dates below will be shared on the university events pages and Menopause Musings. These cafés alone can’t change the whole world, but they do empower others to create positive change for themselves and for their contacts. A win-win situation that ripples out into the community, fostering a culture of support and growth.

Beyond the cafés, it was great to see a range of menopause related events being offered within the University’s Positive Health and Environment week (PHEW) programme. Working with Janet Richardson and Sarah Pryor, I contributed to a recorded event Menopause: what line managers need to know which focused on raising awareness of the staff intranet content on menopause, including the “Top tips on supporting staff through menopause” document that was produced last year.  I was also able to promote these resources during the July Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) meeting within the college of biomedical and life sciences. In a short presentation framed around my journey from motherhood to menopause, I was able to share my observations of the good work the University has undertaken to support mothers returning to work following maternity leave. Did you know that thanks to the hard work of colleagues in the School of Medicine, there are now “family rooms” suitable to use for breastfeeding/expressing breast milk, that are available on the resource booker?

Looking ahead, as well as the continuation of Menopause Cafés, the development of a student intranet page is being discussed. While it is true that in the UK menopause typically occurs in women aged between 45 and 55 meaning it is uncommon for students, who are generally younger, to experience menopause, there are exceptions. These exceptions include premature menopause, which can occur before the age of 40 due to genetic factors, medical treatments, or health conditions, and we should not assume all students are under 40 years old. Students can seek support through student connect, but unlike some other universities such as the guidelines published by Lancaster University, Cardiff doesn’t yet have guidance for students who might experience menopause or related symptoms. I am hopeful this may change soon.