New research reveals how hormone symptoms are affecting women’s work, confidence, promotions and career decisions
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A survey of 5,592 people found 79% said hormone-related symptoms had affected their work participation or career decisions
Brain fog and fatigue were the symptoms most commonly reported as affecting work, ahead of hot flushes
One in four respondents had avoided applying for a promotion and 24% had left a role or organisation because of symptoms
Among respondents taking HRT, 92% said their symptoms improved, although this was a self-selecting survey and isn’t representative of all women
The findings suggest workplace hormone support needs to go beyond menopause to include PMS, PMDD, endometriosis, PCOS and other hormone-related conditions
We’ve got much better at talking about menopause. What’s been slower to change is how we deal with the reality of experiencing it, and other hormone-related health problems, while trying to work
New research from Balance@Work, the workplace education platform from Hormone Health by Dr Louise Newson, suggests that gap could be having a much bigger impact on women’s careers than sickness figures alone show
In a survey of 5,592 people, 79% said hormone-related symptoms had affected their participation at work or their career decisions
Three quarters said symptoms held them back even while they were still sitting at their desks
And this isn’t simply another story about hot flushes
Brain fog, fatigue, poor sleep, anxiety and memory problems were all reported as having a greater impact at work
The stereotypical picture of perimenopause and menopause symptoms tends to involve hot flushes. Yet they came 13th in this survey’s list of symptoms affecting work
Brain fog and poor concentration topped the list, reported by 87% of affected respondents, followed by fatigue and low energy at 86%. Sleep disturbance affected 72%, anxiety or panic 69%, memory difficulties 68% and reduced confidence 67%. Hot flushes were reported by 41%
That’s important because many of these symptoms are largely invisible. Someone can look perfectly well while struggling to concentrate, remember information or get through a working day after repeatedly waking during the night. We’ve previously looked at the connection between menopause and mental health, but the new figures show how closely those less visible symptoms can become tied to work as well.
On average, respondents reported dealing with nine hormone-related symptoms at once
Image credit: Shutterstock
Perhaps the most striking part of the research is what women said happened next
A quarter had passed up the opportunity to apply for a promotion because of their symptoms, 26% had taken a less demanding role and 24% had left a role or organisation. Some 16% said they’d given up a job altogether, while 28% had considered leaving the workforce
Meanwhile, 30% wanted to reduce their hours but said they couldn’t afford to
It creates a problem that’s much harder to spot than absence. The report found 76% continued working despite symptoms reducing their ability to perform at their usual level. Among women who had taken 40 or more days off, 56% of their absence was attributed by respondents to hormones, yet 82% had been officially recorded under another cause
This helps explain why getting the right menopause help from doctors can have consequences beyond simply making symptoms more manageable day to day
Image credit: Shutterstock
Among respondents taking hormone treatment, also known as HRT, 92% said their symptoms had improved. Of these, 49% described the improvement as significant
More interesting from a workplace perspective, 19% credited treatment with helping them stay in a role they had been about to leave. A further 6% said they’d taken on a more demanding role and 4% had returned to the workforce
Again, these are women’s self-reported experiences rather than the results of a controlled clinical study, so we shouldn’t turn them into claims that HRT will produce the same career outcome for everyone. Treatment also isn’t suitable or wanted by everyone. Our guide to menopause treatments for hair, skin and other symptoms looks at some of the different options and where the evidence sits
Access is another problem. Almost two thirds of respondents, 64%, said they’d experienced difficulties accessing hormone treatment and 63% felt those difficulties had affected them at work. Among those still searching for an effective treatment, 62% had been doing so for at least two years
Menopause has understandably become the focus of much of the workplace conversation, but one of the more useful conclusions from this report is that hormone health doesn’t begin with perimenopause
Respondents also talked about PMS, PMDD, menstrual health, fertility, pregnancy-related hormonal changes, endometriosis, PCOS and surgical menopause. These can affect women at very different points in their working lives
At the same time, menopause itself can have effects that don’t fit neatly into a workplace policy. Hormonal changes can affect everything from mood and sleep to hair and skin. We’ve covered why menopause can cause dry, itchy skin, for example, as well as the rise of dedicated products such as No7’s menopause skincare range
Hot flushes can be disruptive enough that we’ve even tested cooling bra inserts designed for menopause and perimenopause
Yet 72% of people surveyed said they’d never received hormone-health training at work, 51% didn’t know of any workplace guidance and a quarter wouldn’t feel comfortable telling their manager about hormone-related symptoms
The answer isn’t necessarily another well-meaning menopause poster in the staff kitchen. Respondents repeatedly asked for better-informed managers, more flexible working, time for healthcare appointments, practical understanding and somewhere they could discuss symptoms without worrying that doing so would make them look less capable
The bigger point is that hormone health isn’t one condition or one stage of life. And while this survey can’t tell us how common these workplace experiences are among all women, it does show what can happen when symptoms, healthcare and working life collide
Image credit: Shutterstock
Separate research from Kalms suggests the impact of menopause-related anxiety isn’t confined to the workplace either. A survey of 1,000 UK women going through perimenopause or menopause found that 63% avoid certain situations because of anxiety, while 48% said it had reduced their ability to enjoy hobbies or leisure activities
More than a third (36%) said anxiety had strained relationships with friends, family or colleagues, while 48% said it made it difficult to maintain their usual routines and responsibilities. More than three quarters (78%) had experienced a loss of self-confidence, including 29% who said this happened daily
There’s a clear crossover with the Balance@Work findings, too. More than a third (35%) of women in the Kalms survey said they’d avoided new roles or promotions because of anxiety. Perhaps more surprisingly, 55% hadn’t realised anxiety could be a symptom of menopause in the first place
Menopause-related anxiety in particular can range from feeling more worried or less confident to much more serious changes in mental health. As we’ve reported in our guide to menopause and suicide risk, research suggests perimenopause can be a particularly vulnerable period because oestrogen and progesterone aren’t simply declining, they can fluctuate significantly
These hormonal changes can affect serotonin and other brain systems involved in mood and anxiety, while poor sleep and other physical menopause symptoms can add to the strain. This helps explain why anxiety can sometimes appear in women with no previous history of mental health problems, and why it shouldn’t automatically be dismissed as everyday stress
At the more severe end, research covered in our guide found an association between the menopausal transition and increased suicidal thoughts and behaviours, with several studies identifying perimenopause as the highest-risk stage. If anxiety is becoming overwhelming, significantly changing how you behave, or is accompanied by thoughts of self-harm or suicide, it’s important to seek medical help rather than trying to manage it alone.
The findings add yet another layer to the idea that some of the most disruptive menopause symptoms aren’t necessarily the most visible. Hot flushes may be easier to recognise, but anxiety, reduced confidence and brain fog can affect work, relationships and social lives without anyone else necessarily knowing what’s going on
- Menopause: Advice, explainers and the latest menopause news
- Menopause and perimenopause: Signs, timings and where to get support
- Menopause and mental health: How hormones can affect your mood
- How to get menopause help from your doctor
- Best menopause treatments for hair, skin and other symptoms
- Why menopause causes dry, itchy skin and what can help
- No7 menopause skincare: What the range does and whether you need it
- Cooling bra inserts for menopause and perimenopause hot flushes
- Holland & Barrett launches BSL menopause support
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