A guide to menopause in the workplace
With a large proportion of the NSLHD workforce being female, many will experience peri/menopause during their careers. In order to provide useful information about a topic that has been unacknowledged for too long particularly in the workplace, Chief Executive Anthony Schembri launched Supporting our People: Menopause in the Workplace Guide on World Menopause Day. Peri/menopause is a natural part of a woman’s life and usually occurs between the ages of 45 and 55. It brings about physical and emotional changes, which can impact women professionally and personally. “This guide is the first step in recognising peri/menopause as a workplace matter and a springboard into greater awareness about what some of our colleagues may be going through,” said Anthony. “I encourage staff to take a moment to learn a bit more about peri/ menopause and its impacts. By doing so, we will continue to foster our wonderful workplace culture, one that supports every individual’s unique life experiences.” The guide was put together by Paula Williscoft, Hayley Johnson, Claire O’Keefe and Marie Hamilton-Smith. Dr Danielle Robson who works at Royal North Shore Hospital’s menopause clinic also consulted on the project, providing medical expertise.
Project Coordinator NSLHD Menopause Hub Claire O’Keefe and Chief Executive Anthony Schembri
women and to look beyond the usual stereotypical symptoms. “There can be anxiety or difficulty sleeping, there can be loss of libido and genital urinary discomfort,” she said. Danielle adds that treating the symptoms of menopause can be multidisciplinary, and include a gynaecologist, GP, endocrinologist, a pelvic floor physiotherapist or psychologist. She urges women to empower themselves by learning about menopause and suggests resources such as Jean Hailes for Women’s Health and the Australasian Menopause Society. “A fundamental understanding of what’s happening to you can take away a lot of the anxiety and fear around the process,” she said.
She said it was a terrific initiative for NSLHD to have undertaken. “It will facilitate an improved awareness in the workplace and empower change for women,” she said. She said women can get symptoms several years prior to their periods stopping. “Often, if you’re not feeling quite right, or you’re thinking you have a constellation of symptoms that’s abnormal for you, menopause is a good place to start looking,” she said. “Most commonly, women come to me and say, ‘I don’t feel like myself’.” She said because menopause is an area of medicine that goes “unrecognised and undiagnosed”, a big part of her job is educating and empowering GPs to feel comfortable treating menopausal
“There are many, many symptoms associated with menopause, and not all women will experience all the symptoms. Not all women will get hot flushes, but they might get other symptoms that are still significantly impacting their quality of life.”
37 NSLHD 2023 Year in Review
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online