Perimenopause tends to arrive when women are at their most experienced and often most senior. Which makes the fact that it goes almost entirely undiscussed at work both strange and expensive.
Surveys consistently find a large proportion of women reporting that symptoms affect their work, and a meaningful number reducing hours, passing on promotions, or leaving altogether.
What actually causes difficulty
Rarely what people assume. The hot flush in a meeting is the cultural image, but women more often name:
Exhaustion from broken sleep. Waking four times a night for months and then being expected to think clearly.
Word-finding trouble. Particularly punishing in jobs involving presenting, teaching, negotiating or client contact.
Loss of confidence. Reported constantly and rarely visible. Women who have presented comfortably for twenty years describe dreading it.
Anxiety that makes ordinary interactions feel harder.
Heavy bleeding in jobs without easy bathroom access — teaching, nursing, retail, trades, driving.
Joint pain in physical roles.
Flushes in uniforms, hot environments, or on camera.
Adjustments that help
Most cost almost nothing.
| Difficulty | Adjustment worth asking for |
|---|---|
| Flushes | Desk fan, seat away from heating, window access, temperature control |
| Uniforms | Breathable fabric, layers, a spare set |
| Heavy bleeding | Bathroom access without needing permission, predictable breaks |
| Poor sleep | Flexible start, avoiding early meetings, working from home some days |
| Concentration | Quiet space for focused work, demanding tasks at your better time of day |
| Confidence | Notice before presenting, notes permitted, a smaller room where possible |
| General | Cold drinking water, somewhere to step out for a few minutes |
Timing is worth thinking about. If you are reliably worst between 3am and 7am and better by mid-morning, moving the important meeting is free.
Whether to say anything
A real decision, and the answer is not always yes.
You are not obliged to disclose. Many adjustments can be requested without giving a reason. "I'd find a desk fan helpful" needs no explanation. "Could we move this meeting to 10?" rarely gets questioned.
Arguments for disclosing: it explains a change in performance that might otherwise be misread; it usually gets adjustments more easily; and it is easier for whoever comes after you.
Arguments against: not every workplace handles it well, and women do report being treated as diminished afterwards. You know your workplace.
A middle path many women use: describe the impact without naming the cause. "I'm having a period of disrupted sleep that's affecting my concentration in the early mornings, and I'd like to adjust my schedule for a while." True, specific, actionable, and discloses nothing you would rather keep private.
Having the conversation
Pick the person, not the policy. Your direct manager may be the right person, or may not. HR, an occupational health service, or a more senior sponsor may be better.
Lead with the work. Frame it around output and what would help, rather than around symptoms. "I want to keep doing this well, and here are two things that would help" lands differently from a description of how you feel.
Ask for specific things. A list of three concrete adjustments is easier to say yes to than a general statement that things are hard.
Put it in writing afterwards. A short email confirming what was agreed. Useful if anything is later disputed, and it also tends to make things actually happen.
Ask about existing provisions. Some Australian employers now have menopause policies, and many have flexible work, wellbeing or EAP provisions that apply without anyone needing a specific policy.
Your rights in Australia
There is no menopause-specific legislation. Protection comes through several existing routes.
Sex and age discrimination. The Sex Discrimination Act and Age Discrimination Act prohibit less favourable treatment on those grounds. Treating a woman detrimentally because of menopause symptoms may amount to sex or age discrimination.
Disability discrimination. Where symptoms are substantial and long-term enough to affect ordinary daily activities, they may fall within the definition of disability under the Disability Discrimination Act — which brings an obligation on employers to consider reasonable adjustments.
Work health and safety. Employers have a general duty to provide a safe working environment, which extends to things like heat and access to facilities.
The right to request flexible working. Under the Fair Work Act, certain employees — including those over 55, and those with a disability — can request flexible arrangements, and an employer may only refuse on reasonable business grounds.
If you are managing someone
A few things that cost nothing:
- Do not diagnose people. If someone raises it, listen and ask what would help
- Treat a request for adjustment as routine rather than exceptional
- Notice environment — a hot meeting room is a solvable problem
- Do not make it a joke, including a sympathetic one
- Keep it confidential unless told otherwise
- Recognise that a capable person struggling is usually a signal, not a verdict
Related
Sleep problems and brain fog cover the two symptoms that most often show up at work.