October marks World Menopause Month. Menopause can cause a wide range of debilitating symptoms that affect work and relationships, and the low hormone levels resulting from menopause can also lead to long-term medical issues such as heart disease, diabetes and dementia. With women over 50 being one of the fastest-growing groups in the workforce, organisations are increasingly likely to have employees who are affected by menopause. Being able to have conversations around treatment, support and adjustments is crucial for ensuring their well-being, engagement and productivity.

The stigma around menopause in the workplace

The stigma around menopause and a general lack of understanding can make it difficult for people who are going through menopause to recognise their symptoms or speak about them openly. It can also be hard for managers and colleagues to effectively and sensitively approach the issue and offer support.

What is menopause?

Menopause is a natural biological process, but it can also occur as a result of certain medical treatments, such as chemotherapy or surgical operations to remove the womb or ovaries, which can lead to what is known as surgical menopause. The perimenopause, or menopause transition, begins several years before menopause and is the time when the ovaries gradually start making less of the hormone oestrogen. People going through perimenopause can experience a range of symptoms and menstrual irregularities. Some of these symptoms include hot flushes, night sweats, trouble sleeping, anxiety, poor concentration and irritability. Those experiencing menopause also have an increased risk of conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and dementia.

The best companies are investing in diversity because they know a diverse workforce, and more importantly, one where everyone feels included is critical to long term success. New  talent  and  younger  generations  often deliberately choose workplaces where diversity is celebrated, and a business with a global outlook needs to put diversity front and center.

But the places we grow up in, our own education and cultural background can prove a challenge to managing a diverse workforce. Our own ideas about race, religion or sexual orientation may not be shared by colleagues in other parts of the world, and sometimes the systems and processes in our companies are not always set up to deal with a global workforce.

What is the difference between traditional diversity and harassment training and bystander intervention training?

Organisations have been trying to address sexual harassment and diversity and inclusion training for decades now, but the efforts have been largely unsuccessful. In recent years, the need for effective training has come to light again as a result of the widespread sexual misconduct allegations that inspired the #metoo movement, and a more diverse workforce than ever. 

An organisation that embraces a culture of diversity, equality and inclusion has a better chance at sustainable success. But what’s the best way to create a work culture in which everyone, from the CEO to the managers to all employees, embraces diversity and promotes equality? What is the best way to effectively train on respectful engagement with others?

Experimentation and research (mainly conducted on university campuses and in the military) have shown that while traditional diversity, inclusion and harassment training is largely ineffective and can even aggravate existing problems, a different method, known as bystander-intervention training, is more effective.