Can menopause be a good thing for our careers?

It's World Menopause Day 2024

Happy World Menopause Day to those who ‘celebrate’! We’re halfway through Menopause Awareness Month and so of course this latest Substack is themed around menopause.

Last year I wrote about how I was scared menopause might ruin my career. There is still a tinge of that today but as I’ve written more about it in my day job as a journalist, and follow people who have made menopause their business, I wondered if there could be something good, something positive among all what feels like doom of menopause and the workplace.

A Substack by Jo Elvin has explored this too, titled ‘Yes there are good things about menopause’ which looked at how menopause isn’t such a big deal for some, but for others, there are still issues around access to support. Jo shares her own story, and that’s one of the things that I think is shifting in the world of menopause at work. A former magazine editor sharing her menopause journey? That to me is quite groundbreaking because magazine editors didn’t used to do that kind of thing.

In fact, it was Sam Baker, of The Shift, who I think was the first to really stand up and say that glossy magazine life isn’t and wasn’t what people think. Her story of hot flushes in boardrooms stayed with me after reading her book.

Then came a book I began reading on holiday, Much More to Come by Eleanor Mills, also a former newspaper senior editor. (As an aside I find this and The Shift interesting as a journalist because of their ‘behind the scenes’ scenes from the world of publishing I grew up in, too. I aspired to have these women’s lives, their jobs, their status. To read that it wasn’t all rosy is not pleasing to me, but it does level the ‘dream’ I sold myself). Mills founded a platform and community called Noon, and I’ve written for them about the urge to go freelance in midlife.

But back to menopause.

There is a lot of negative narrative around menopause - a lot of campaigning, of saying things aren’t good enough and while I agree that campaigning and speaking out is super important, it can create a narrative for the menopausal women ‘on the ground’ that this is a bad time. That our careers, along with our ovaries, brains and will to live, will shrivel up and perish.

If you saw the Panorama documentary and are in any stage of menopause, you might, like me, have been left thinking ‘What happened there?’. I was expecting a total overthrow of the menowashing that goes on, a storming of the shops to remove all the products with the word menopause on, revolt in the aisles at the menopause shampoo and pyjamas. Menopausal women feel failed, I think, left right and centre. But some are actually carving new career paths through this quagmire.

From the role of presenter to Instagrammer, comedian, author, PT, speaker, and workplace educator, there are lots of women out there who are working alongside menopause and making a business and career out of this stage of life.

I am inspired by it! So I wanted to think about whether menopause be a good thing for our careers. Whether this stage of life can be the (if slightly cheesy) enlightening, empowering stage that some preach it to be. It can lead to book deals, after all. There are women who are now forging new career paths in the ‘menopause influencer' space’ if I can call it that without causing offence.

I decided to ask some of the women I follow to see what they have to say about it. I was so pleased when I got these responses - not least because of the space these women already have talking about menopause and midlife, but because of the honesty and also the range of insight. It’s not a ‘one answer fits all’ question.

For me, the biggest thing that resonated when I read all these comments was the theme that it’s about workplaces taking responsibility for women going through menopause but also about women saying ‘no’ - that magic word that for one of my experts is the biggest thing you might learn to say through your menopause journey.

My ‘journey’ is midway, I think. I’m 47 and still quite new to HRT. I am navigating being peri-menopausal at work, especially the impact of brain fog. At home, anxiety and rage often rear their heads and I am finding out which products (if any) work at all for me.

From escaping toxic workplaces to education and pivoting, here’s what they have to say:

It can be an ideal time to reshape our careers

Kate Rowe-Ham, founder of Owning your Menopause shared: “Menopause can be a pivotal time for many women to reframe and rethink their careers. This life stage often coincides with a time when women are seeking more purpose, fulfilment, and balance in their professional and personal lives.

Many women experience a shift in priorities during menopause. With children often becoming more independent or retirement approaching, women may find themselves reflecting on what truly matters. This reflection can lead to a desire to align their careers more closely with personal passions or to explore new professional opportunities.

Menopause can bring a newfound sense of confidence. With life experience and a clearer sense of self, many women feel empowered to pursue roles or career paths that they may have previously shied away from. This time is often seen as an opportunity to step into leadership, start a new business, or switch industries. For some women, menopause highlights the need to advocate for better workplace policies that support women’s health and well-being. This can inspire career shifts toward roles that emphasise diversity, equity, and inclusion, or even lead women to become entrepreneurs, creating businesses that are more aligned with their values.

Menopause comes with physical and emotional challenges that can impact work performance or satisfaction. Women may seek careers that offer more flexibility, reduced stress, or a healthier work-life balance. Alternatively, some may transition into roles focused on health and wellness, mentoring others through similar life stages. Menopause can be seen as a time of reinvention. Women who may feel stagnant in their careers often use this period to learn new skills, take on new roles, or shift industries entirely. Lifelong learning becomes an empowering way to adapt to changes and stay engaged professionally.

By reframing menopause as a period of growth and opportunity, many women are able to navigate this life stage with renewed energy and purpose, making it an ideal time to rethink and reshape their careers.”

Getting clear on our values is important

Emma Thomas, founder of Managing the Menopause warns that knowing values and boundaries is also key. There is still that onus on the women going through menopause to set those. I am here for this - for me, that is when you start to find your own power in your career as a menopausal woman.

She says: “Whilst lower levels of oestrogen can trigger a swathe of symptoms from brain fog to joint pain, perimenopause can also be the trigger for some serious soul-searching that can (if we harness it) be a force for positive change.

Menopause often has us facing our mortality and thinking, OK, what exactly DO I want to be doing with the second half of my life? We might ultimately decide that the career path we’re on doesn’t light us up, and welcome in a career pivot, retrain, or return to study. Oestrogen has been described as our “biddable hormone” - as levels drop, we may find that our capacity for ‘office politics’ and ‘office housework’ also diminishes. Getting clear on our values, on what behaviour we will, and will not tolerate, can be the push we need to re-evaluate our work-life balance or walk away from a toxic work situation and take some time out to focus on our health and wellbeing.”

It can be a good thing - with the right support

"Menopause can absolutely be a good thing for our careers. When we don’t understand menopause or its symptoms, it can feel like a barrier,” says Deborah Garlick, CEO and founder of Henpicked: Menopause In The Workplace. “However, with the right awareness, education and support, menopause doesn't have to be a career stumbling block. In fact, it can be a turning point. Many women at this stage have accumulated vast experience, which offers an incredible opportunity. Some start new businesses, pursue new ventures or step into leadership roles with renewed confidence. Menopause can mark the beginning of a new, empowering chapter, full of possibility."

Workplace support is imperative to make menopause a good career stage

Sharon MacArthur is a menopause educator and workplace speaker, and runs Miss Menopause. We met through a talk she gave at my workplace. When I asked her if menopause can be good for our careers, she said: “I would say without education and the right medical support then not really. Most women have no idea that what’s happening to them is menopause related so out of utter ignorance are leaving work. Most think they have early onset dementia.

It starts for most women when they are in their 40’s so with many women having children much later in life it can be really confusing moving from baby brain to menopause brain in a short space of time. Many women who have undiagnosed neurodiverse conditions find it impossible or much harder to mask leading to more women finding and seeking a diagnosis. Small reasonable adjustments can make a difference at work along with education for all and a culture where it’s ok to be open about your health. The care bomb is also on the horizon with more of us having to work longer due to pension age increases. Women usually take on the burden meaning they feel the pressure to work less or drop out of work altogether.

If the right medical support, education and support in the workplace were in place then menopause should be seamless. Companies with a good gender balance are more profitable and high-performing so keeping women in the workplace and using their talents can only be a sound business move but we still appear to be a long way off. Coupled with the depressing thought that we are over 40-plus years away from closing the gender pay gap in the UK there’s a lot more to do.”

Still work to be done - and you might have to quit a toxic workplace

Anniki Sommerville is a writer and author, and shares comedy content about the midlife experience on her Instagram (it’s hilarious!). She has also been featured on the Freelance Feels podcast.

When it comes to menopause, she feels there is still work to be done by employers. I relate to the toxic workplace comment she makes - I’ve been there, I’ve escaped. It’s not easy to navigate menopause and toxicity, that’s for sure.

“It can be good if we know what we want next. For me, it’s been incredible and fruitful but that’s only after I said goodbye to toxic workplaces and started prioritising myself and my well-being. The truth is that many women suffer in silence and start to think they are the problem and it’s not the work environment itself that is an issue. There is still a lot of work to be done to make employers more aware of menopause but also just less sexist and discriminatory towards mothers in general. I find that once you speak to other women they have often had similar experiences whatever their age- so we need to acknowledge our common experiences too and work out how they can be improved.”

Post menopause, you’ll see the bigger picture

Fiona Catchpowle is a menopause Doula (you may have only ever heard that word related to childbirth before!) and runs The Menopause School.

She shares her thoughts from a post-menopause perspective, adding: “with hindsight, as someone who started a new business in the middle of perimenopause.”

“If, like most people going through menopause transition, you reach the lightbulb moment of ‘I no longer give a fuck’ I see this as a career-changing opportunity in a positive way. Perhaps there was some little niggle of doubt about your skills or competence holding you back.

Maybe it did get a tad worse at the height of perimenopause, but if you now sit back and look at the bigger picture, you will start to realise that you now have so many more strong characteristics that you are the person for the job… and maybe a whole new shiny one. You’ve learned new juggling skills as you figured out how to keep it all together. Your brain is rewired and is now able to view situations pragmatically.
You don’t have to worry about period pain derailing you. You may still have some underlying symptoms but look how far you have come. If you have navigated the minefield of HRT you now have new negotiating skills. You may have discovered the word NO.”

If you feel like you need support at work because you’re going through menopause, the first thing I would suggest is to see what’s out there in terms of support from your company. Check the intranet or see if you can ask HR what support is offered. There may be employee resource groups.

Educating myself has been a big eye opener - reading books about menopause, following people in the menopause space - so that might also work for you.

Being kind to yourself is the biggest thing. Reminding yourself that it’s not just you, you’re not alone, and the feelings of ‘what next’ for your career are perfectly normal. Some days, you will get that fear I mentioned in my Substack last year. For me, using my platforms as a journalist and writer has given me confidence and reassurance to be a menopausal woman at work. It’s a journey I’m still on - there are days I worry I should quieten down! But I hope that the things I write help you too.

And if you know someone who is going through menopause and might need support, please do share this with them.

Jenny x