The Key Learning Points:

1. How organisations can support women during menopause

2. How people are affected by (early) menopause

3. The importance of discussing menopause in society and at work

Today on the Risky Mix podcast we’re delighted to be joined by Rebekah Bostan, Director of Research and Insight at InsTech London and an award-winning diversity champion. Rebekah will be talking all about the menopause, including outlining some of the lesser-known symptoms and addressing some of the big misconceptions. Drawing from her own experience of unexpected early menopause, Rebekah will also share strategies for managing menopause at work and suggest how colleagues can support someone going through it. 

Rebekah explains that, in her late 30's, she started to experience changes in her menstrual cycle. She says she was becoming increasingly intolerant and felt claustrophobic (later recognised as hot flush). She forgot common details like her children’s names (brain fog) and found it uncomfortable sitting down (a sign of vaginal dryness). Rebekah says she also struggled with anxiety. She wanted to grow her career, now that her kids were teens, but feared she would have to ‘lean out’. She explains it was a scary conversation to have; she had worked so hard to climb the corporate ladder and to persuade people to respect her as an equal, but now she had to ask to be treated a little differently (which, she reminds us, is ok too!).

Rebekah went to her GP believing she had early-onset dementia, but her GP recognised the signs of early menopause – having 28 out of 30 known symptoms! It turns out that both her mum and her grandmother had experienced early menopause, yet they'd never shared this with her. Rebekah believes this is because as a society we have ‘pushed menopause to a place where we don’t talk about it’. As a result, she struggled to recognise and define her symptoms - she lacked the language. She tells us it angers her that menopause isn’t discussed more, despite being a natural thing with symptoms that can generally be treated.

Rebekah tells us that her GP’s referral to an early menopause clinic had a nine-month wait, but she was lucky to have access to private medical treatment. But Rebekah tells us that she also leaned on other resources, including ‘menopause cafés’ where she talked to women at different stages of menopause.

Rebekah also tells us how she navigated her diagnosis at work. She worked part-time, which helped tremendously. As her company wasn’t talking about menopause, she created a menopause policy and groups (but warns us that policies only work if management buys into them!). She also tells us how asking for help was hard, but the best thing she did – she delegated her tasks to her team and chose opportunities that would allow her colleagues to grow.

We then talk about what teams can do to support someone experiencing menopause. Rebekah stresses the value of flexible working – such as working from home and the option to reduce hours. She wants employers to give people room to say what they need and then to provide that support. Rebekah told us how she felt comfortable telling her team when she was having a ‘brain-foggy’ day – allowing her colleagues to step in where necessary – and she would support them when they needed help too. She also urges people working in HR to distinguish menopausal sick days from normal sick days – as it can be stressful if you are perceived to be taking too much time off.

We also ask Rebekah if she has any final advice for people going through menopause. She urges people to track their symptoms and see a GP. If your GP isn’t taking your symptoms seriously, she says, find another one! She also recommends the resource menopausematters.co.uk. Finally, she urges people with the financial capacity to use private healthcare where they can, as she wants as many women as possible to stay in leadership.