Firstly, women are talking more openly about the whole range of symptoms that may be experienced. There are the physical symptoms such as the hot flushes, night sweats, poor sleep, fatigue, changes in menstrual cycles and dry, itchy skin. Then there’s the emotional symptoms such as anxiety, low mood, mood swings, loss of confidence and anger. Finally, there are the cognitive symptoms that can make women feel like they are in the early stages of dementia such as brain fog, poor memory and difficulty making decisions.

A second factor is that a new generation of women are looking for answers and are prepared to advocate for the treatment they want. Many of these women have careers and lives that they do not want to see disrupted. Getting help may be more challenging that it sounds; a poll by Dr Jill Newson found that 79% of women had to visit their doctor multiple times to even achieve a menopause diagnosis. Shockingly, 15% of those questioned said they had waited more than six years to receive a diagnosis from their doctor.

An important factor is that employers are taking the subject of workplace menopause more seriously. This started with the requirements on employers made by the Equality Act 2010 which has led to four cases taken to Employment Tribunal being decided in favour of the women employees who were experiencing menopause symptoms. Add to this the fact that there are more women over 50 in the workplace than ever before and it is the fastest growing demographic in that space.

Employers are starting to realise that if they support their employees through menopause, they can achieve improved performance, less absence, higher morale and better staff retention.