The Menopausal Years: Navigating Career Transitions for Women Over 35

13/01/2025

Narelle Vigor is the founder of Soul Compass geared to supporting women in career transition, returning to work, balancing work and life roles, and managing through midlife and into retirement. She has been a counsellor for over 20 years and a specialist career counsellor for the last 5 years. 

Menopause, the cessation of menstruation, is a natural biological transition that typically occurs between the ages of 45 and 55, on average at age 51. However, the perimenopausal period, the 10 or so years leading up to menopause, can begin as early as the mid-30s and often brings about a cascade of physical, emotional, and cognitive changes.

These changes can significantly impact a woman's career, potentially leading to decreased productivity, reduced confidence, and even early retirement; with the majority of women reporting they are negatively impacted by their symptoms, and the majority of those not knowing menopause was the cause.

This is a key area to consider when working with women in mid-late careers, as it is reasonable to deduce that for some women, they may spend almost half their working life battling symptoms of menopause as well as juggling family and work roles.

The Impact of Perimenopause and Menopause on Women's Careers:

Physical Symptoms: Hot flashes, night sweats, and sleep disturbances are common menopausal symptoms that can disrupt sleep patterns, leading to fatigue and difficulty concentrating at work.These physical symptoms can also affect a woman's energy levels, making it challenging to maintain the same level of productivity as before.

Emotional and Psychological Changes: Hormone fluctuations during perimenopause and menopause can trigger mood swings, anxiety, and depression. Lack of sleep contributes to concentration difficulties, low mood, poor memory and a raft of other psychological challenges. These emotional and cognitive challenges can impact a woman's ability to interact with colleagues, make decisions, manage complex tasks, manage deadlines and maintain a positive work-life balance.

Stigma and Discrimination: Despite its natural occurrence, menopause remains a taboo subject in many workplaces. This stigma can lead to discrimination, lack of understanding, and a reluctance to discuss menopausal symptoms with employers or colleagues.

In the report Menopause and the Workplace, 83% of respondents said their menopausal symptoms interfered with their employment, with 70% saying they felt unable to discuss their issues with their manager or employer. 60% of women ranked their workplace support as ‘poor’ or ‘below average’. 

This lack of support can exacerbate the challenges women face during this period and negatively impact their career progression, often when they are at a level of experience that is highly valued by employers and at their career peak.

Career Implications:

The combined effects of these physical, emotional, and cognitive changes can have significant career implications for women:

  • Reduced productivity: Difficulty concentrating, fatigue, and mood swings can all contribute to decreased productivity and performance at work.  
  • Missed opportunities: Women may decline promotions, turn down challenging projects, or withdraw from networking opportunities due to fear of judgment or lack of support.  Or simply from exhaustion!
  • Early retirement: Some women may choose to retire early due to debilitating symptoms or a lack of workplace support, leading to financial insecurity into their retirement.
  • Loss of confidence: The physical and emotional changes associated with menopause can impact a woman's self-esteem and confidence, affecting her career aspirations and decision-making.

Strategies for Career Counsellors:

Career counsellors can play a crucial role in supporting women through the challenges of perimenopause and menopause. Here are some ideas to consider:

1. Raise Awareness and Normalise the Conversation: 

  • Educate yourself about the physical, emotional, and cognitive changes associated with menopause. As mentioned, many women have symptoms but are too early in the process to know that they may be menopause related. By discussing and normalising this conversation, women may seek medical intervention or support sooner rather than later. Break the taboo.
  • Talk about menopause in career counselling sessions and workshops and include women and men in the conversation. Whilst women are most impacted by the symptoms, many men may find they are able to provide better support simply through knowing what women in the workplace are dealing with and need. Menopause should not be a gendered conversation.
  • Encourage open communication about menopausal symptoms and their impact on work. By talking through their symptoms and how these may be impacting work performance, many women can start to re-frame the negative thinking about themselves and loss of confidence. By removing the stigma and shame women can effectively think about making different choices more aligned to their new reality. Growth happens with a new narrative.

2. Promote Workplace Flexibility and Support: 

  • Support women to advocate for flexible work arrangements, such as remote work options, flexible schedules, and reduced hours. Not every employer will accommodate this, but many will if they are aware of the need and see the value in it (such as talent retention).
  • If you are working organisationally and have access to leadership teams, encourage employers to implement menopause-friendly policies, such as access to healthcare resources, flexible working options and mental health support such as EAP services. And remind them that women have talent.

3. Empower Women to Advocate for Themselves: 

  • Help women identify and communicate their needs to their employers. As women start to better understand the process they are experiencing, they will be better able to recognise and articulate their changing needs.
  • Provide resources and strategies for navigating workplace challenges related to menopause. This may extend to referral to GP services or specialist menopause services such as WellFemme.
  • Encourage women to seek support from colleagues, mentors, and employee assistance programs. Often starting a conversation opens the door for many, not just one.

4. Focus on Career Transitions and Reskilling: 

  • Assist women in identifying new career paths that may be better suited to their changing needs and abilities. Many women have a raft of durable skills that are highly transferrable, support them in identifying these and where they may be able to apply them.
  • Provide guidance on reskilling and upskilling to remain competitive in the job market, including resources on understanding current and future changes to the job market.
  • Explore options for phased retirement or part-time work to facilitate a smoother transition. By mindfully staging retirement, women are better able to manage finances and work through their financial needs before making a sudden exit from work because it has all become too much to cope with.

5. Promote Self-Care and Well-being: 

  • Refer women to healthcare providers and support groups for guidance on managing menopausal symptoms where appropriate. Community can support women that may be feeling isolated.
  • Emphasise the importance of embracing a new work-life balance, maintaining connections and networks, and seeking support from family and friends.

Perimenopause and menopause can present significant challenges for women's careers. By raising awareness, promoting workplace support, and empowering women to advocate for themselves, career counsellors can play a vital role in helping women navigate this critical life stage and achieve their full career potential!