Years ago, it was taboo to speak openly about women’s health at work. I’m glad we can have more of those conversations today. Still, the words we use matter. In one 2017 psychiatric study on menopause, researchers described symptoms in a group of patients as “hysterical.” That language makes me ask what happens when a woman raises a concern about menopause at work and her supervisor hears it as “being emotional.” How likely is she to ask for help again?
Women lead governments and major corporations. They manage teams, train new employees and serve the public. Think about the caseworker everyone turns to when a family’s benefits are delayed. She knows who to call, what to check and how to get the case moving. Now imagine she needs ten minutes between appointments to manage menopause symptoms. The waiting room is full. Where can she turn for confidential support? Can she trust that asking for help will not change how her supervisor sees her the next time a leadership opportunity opens?
Build a Policy for Menopause at Work Through Collaboration
I want lawmakers to address menopause at work through policy. And I want the women who will live with that policy to help write it. My research on collaboration and my work in public service have taught me to ask who gets invited to the table and whose judgment shapes the decision. Women across job levels should help lead this effort from the first conversation.
The National Health Service in the United Kingdom offers a starting point. The agency’s menopause action plan guidance encourages employers to listen to staff, review existing policies and identify what makes support difficult to access. A clerk who needs someone to cover the intake desk and an executive who can close her office door may have very different answers about what would help. Both should shape the model.
Women’s health care providers can help the group account for how experiences vary during perimenopause and menopause. Mental health professionals can help managers listen and respond without making assumptions about an employee’s mood, judgment or ability to lead. Lawmakers can use that shared work to set expectations for privacy and a clear process for requesting support. Employers and employee representatives can work out the details, including who covers the intake desk when someone needs to step away.
Test the Policy on an Ordinary Workday
I would pilot the model in workplaces with different staffing demands. Ask employees whether they knew where to turn, whether they trusted the process enough to use it and what happened when they did. Then bring those answers back to the women who helped design the model and give them a say in what changes.
I keep coming back to that caseworker. I want her to know she can ask for ten minutes on a busy Tuesday and walk into a promotion interview on Wednesday with her judgment and ability held in the same regard. That is the standard I want lawmakers, health professionals, employers and women in the workplace to build toward together.
Dr. Denise D. Hendrix, DPA, is a director at New York City’s Human Resources Administration (HRA), where she advances collaborative governance and public service innovation. With more than 15 years of experience in public and nonprofit administration, her work focuses on homelessness, child welfare, organizational leadership and cross-sector collaboration. Dr. Hendrix is an adjunct professor, public administration scholar and contributor to PA TIMES. Her research explores trust, communication and collaborative governance networks. She is currently pursuing professional coaching certification and is passionate about developing leaders who build strong organizations through trust, effective communication and meaningful collaboration.
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