‘ I wasn ’ t sure what was going on. I was struggling to concentrate and work was getting too much ’

Most women experience the menopause between the ages of 45 and 55 – in other words, while they’re working. Given that women make up more than 70% of UNISON’s 1.3 million members, it’s clearly a workplace issue and therefore a union issue that we should be leading the way on. The menopause is a natural transition stage in most women’s lives, usually lasting between four and eight years, although it can be longer. It’s primarily marked by hormonal changes and the end of periods, which can also trigger a wide range of physical and psychological symptoms. The menopause can also occur earlier for medical reasons and it also affects trans, non-binary and intersex people. In the workplace, the impacts can be exacerbated for disabled women by their disability and, for Black women, by racism and the prevalence of less secure working conditions among Black workers. In 2017, the UK government’s equalities office published a review of the extent to which the menopause affects women’s economic participation. It reported that “significant numbers of working women experience problems at work as a result of individual symptoms … “The evidence also paints a consistent picture of women in transition feeling those around them at work are unsympathetic or treat them badly, because of gendered ageism.” For some UNISON members, menopause issues will cause difficulties at work and may even lead to discriminatory action by employers – so it’s something we need to star...
Source: UNISON Health care news - Category: UK Health Authors: Tags: Article black members disabled members Menopause unison women Source Type: news