Memory loss, brain fog, heavy bleeding, sleepless nights and a barrage of hot flushes - this is the reality for countless Australian women trying to function during menopause. or signup to continue reading The natural decline in reproductive hormones and its sometimes life-changing impacts have been thrust into the spotlight during recent Senate committee hearings on the health issue. Potential supports proposed include specialised work leave, increased research, flexible job arrangements and a general wider understanding of symptoms.
For those who work, severe menopause has altered and even ended careers. More than half of women in the finance sector say they are less likely to apply for a promotion due to menopause, according to a survey by the Finance Sector Union (FSU). More than 35 per cent of respondents in the same report said their experience of menopause meant they are more likely to retire early.
"Menopause often hits workers at a point in their careers when they are in the pipeline for senior roles and instead of progressing, they hold themselves back due to their experiences of menopausal symptoms," the FSU said in its submission to the Senate committee. The union's national policy officer Angela Budai says that for some financially comfortable women it isn't worth staying in full-time roles while experiencing menopause symptoms. "We have a whole bunch of workers not being utilised in our economy, and most people just can't stop and look at the bigger picture abou.