Even though several companies in the West have started to adopt policies and offer benefits to women undergoing menopause, India Inc is yet to warm up to the issue. This is despite the fact that menopause — a natural biological process that marks the end of a woman’s menstrual cycles — affects a sizable portion of the workforce that largely comprises the senior leadership at a majority of the firms.
As per a 2022 survey conducted by pharma firm Abbott, in partnership with market research company Ipsos, 82% women believed that menopause can impact a woman’s well-being, with 81% saying it also affected their work life. The survey covered 1,200 people across seven cities in India. Also, 18% women said they worked through related pain/symptoms, with 26% saying they took time off for these symptoms without divulging the reasons, said Saraswathi Kasturirangan, chief happiness officer, Deloitte India, quoting a ‘Women@Work’ study.
In a recent survey published on Thursday, covering 2,000 employed women in the US and the UK, 80% of the participants reported managing menopause symptoms as a challenge at work. Loss of concentration was reported as the top interference – US (42%) and UK (56%). On top of that, a third of women felt going through menopause while working would hamper their career growth.
Although not a mandatory legal requirement for employers, many American companies, including Nvidia, Adobe, Genentech and Bristol Myers Squibb, have menopause-related provisions in place.
In the United Kingdom, the House of Commons’ Women and Equalities Committee, in 2021, undertook an inquiry to find out if more was needed to be done to help women at work undergoing menopause. However, earlier this year, a proposal to alter the UK legislation to protect the rights of menopausal women was turned down.
Despite that, several British companies, such as HSBC UK, have been certified as menopause-friendly, as per reports. Similarly, in October last year, the Bank of Ireland Group announced paid leave for women employees going through menopause. Most of its employees are based in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Incidentally, companies, especially in Europe, are increasingly introducing policies focused on menopause. These include Danske Bank and Deloitte, as per media reports.
Some of the other menopause policies that companies incorporate include assessing workplace temperature, providing access to cold drinking water and adequate facilities, and allowing for changes to workstations, said reports.
However, all’s not lost yet, as discussions on the matter in some companies based in India have gained momentum. According to Nitin Wadhwa, director, human resources – India, Ultimate Kronos Group (UKG), an HR solutions provider, they have had “debates on the potential benefits and drawbacks of such policies”.
As per Wadhwa, UKG has “not received many menopause-related requests, primarily due to a significant millennial population”. However, regarding the solution, Wadhwa said: “There cannot be a one-size-fits-all as the range of experiences for menopausal women is varied.”
Meanwhile, as per the Abbott survey, 48% women said they experienced severe symptoms, such as heavy bleeding (53%), pain during intercourse (55%) and depression (56%). According to a 2022 article titled In the Misdiagnosis of Menopause: What Needs to Change? published in the American Journal of Managed Care, there are 30 known symptoms linked to menopause. These include heavy or missed periods, severe premenstrual pain or bloating, hot flashes, mood changes, anxiety, insomnia, brain fog, and forgetfulness, among others. Notably, menopause likely occurs between the ages of 45 and 55 years, with 51 being the average age.
Although a majority of companies in India are yet to take steps on the issue, 48% of Indian women believe it is important to offer paid leave for menopause-related symptoms, as per the Deloitte study.
In India, Deloitte “offers paid well-being leave, over and above the annual leave entitlement”. “Professionals are made aware that menstruation/ menopause-related symptoms are covered under well-being leave,” Kasturirangan added.
Meanwhile, queries on the topic to a number of companies didn’t elicit any response or were turned down. With October being observed as the ‘World Menopause Month’, it will be crucial to see India Inc’s move to address an issue that affects the well-being of several employees.