Andrea Berchowitz: The link between menopause and gender inequity at work | TED

Hot flashes, joint pain, anxiety, depression, difficulty sleeping -- these unforgiving menopause symptoms directly impact work but often go overlooked and under-discussed as a taboo topic, says entrepreneur Andrea Berchowitz. She gives practical advice on how to create a menopause-friendly work culture that supports gender equity and diversity retention in the workplace.

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[Boyhead]

I'm in my late 40s and I entered peri between late 2016 and late 2017 and had my last period Dec 2018... Between then and now, hot flashes have been my primary annoyance...that, some fatigue and brain fog. Prior to covid-19 remote work from home -- I was in the office regularly. And, that would mean during meetings I'd break out in hot flashes. I decided to act like it was a part of my norm. I'm hot - well, I just break out my hand fan and cool myself down -- without breaking a beat. I had my colleagues and boss ask me "Are you ok?" And, I'm honest -- "I'm having a hot flash...it will subside in a few... so, anyway -- back to the topic...." For me, I take ownership for health -- and I'm thankful that those symptoms do not affect my work to the point where I have to take time off... and I empathize with those women who have to.
I think this is a fascinating topic!

[noahark]

I never thought about this, but I'm glad it's being brought up! My mom is at the beginning of early menopause, and she had to quit her job because the symptoms were so disruptive

[tobiwalker]

I had minimal menopause issues. I was over and done in about 18 months. There may be very few women at the top but there are a lot of women in middle management, many of them perimenopausal or menopausal, and they'd probably be more than willing to discuss it BUT if we treat it like a disability requiring accommodation, we're playing into the traditional "women can't be good employees because they're at the mercy of their bodies" excuse for denying women employment. Let's start by getting adequate healthcare for everybody and then adequate paid sick leave for everyone, so folks can take a day off if they need it without jeopardizing their jobs or their housing. But treating normal aging as disability bothers me.

[xRockycherrYx]

But let's not forget that a probably even bigger issue is that if women want to have children, they have to do so before their menopause, when most successful people are focussing on their career! Men don't have this problem, they can just work on their career until they're 40 or 50, and then when they've made it they can still have kids!

[mariawesley]

I have recently fully reached menopause! My problem was with hot flashes and I have the perfect work setting for that. A grocery store. I had my choice of either a walk in cooler or a walk in freezer, in addition to coworkers who would cover for me for the few minutes I needed.

[creativityzero]

Have you ever thought about these issues before this video? I personally haven't. I did know that menopause was pretty heavy and complicated, but, i didn't know about all these symptoms and difficulties.

[Indianaparadise]

My menopause symptoms came on it seemed over night at 48 🙄. I couldn’t sleep for hourly hot flashes along with other symptoms. Tried dealing until I was so sleep deprived I couldn’t function. After starting hrt within a few days I haven’t had a hot flash since ❤️. Now my energy and mood hasn’t changed much but at least I’m sleeping better ❤️

[masteryoda]

There is a lot of competence inequality in the world too. It's shocking how few incompetent people make it to the top in successfull positions. Please join me in the fight for competence equality. 🙏

[sheherhers]

As an HR professional and female this was insightful and knowledgeable. Thank you, open floor plans are supposed to encourage collaborative atmospheres aiding innovation, but your Ted Talk helps me to see another point of view.

[johnyqwerty]

Great video, great topic, and great speaker! I wish, we could talk about menstruation as well. The period leave at a workplace is a dream! As of now, there are so many young women struggling with period pain on a regular basis, no concrete health condition or diagnosis, just dysmenorrhea w/o a reason and treatment. And all we need is some rest, need to "breathe out". But what do we do instead? We feel ashamed of having periods, we hide our pain, we take painkillers and go to work just as not to look weak. Not to stay behind men.
This is also a painful phenomenon, I suppose. The society is built according to the Solar, masculine rhythms and cycles. Whereas the Lunar, feminine cycle is disregarded and disrespected. We pretend to be equal with men, but we are not. And we are strong in different aspects, and we do not have to prove anything to this world. We just need to have a right TO BE. To be as we are, as we were born, as we were designed by nature. With the highest energy during ovulation and lowest energy during menstruation. Why nobody talks about this?...

[lorenempm]

So important inform and support women that they can gracefully deal with the symptoms of menopause. This should be required watching for all corporate leaders. This can lead to better health care and less "invisibility" of older women. Thank you.

[lindyk]

Thank you for talking about it and bringing the issue to light. ❤️

[TheKencmh]

Most companies people are machines. If I machine breaks down you replace it

[litatjie]

Yes, but should a company suffer because I'm going through menopause? Are we asking for company to make exceptions for menopause, other physical ailments don't receive this exception. That's not equality. "don't go on a business trip because my symptoms are too bad", I understand this from the woman's point of view, but from the companies point of view, the job still needs doing. I appreciate her raising awareness, I do agree with that.

[nicoleonfeels]

Understanding others’ experiences is necessary for a greater humanity 🙏🏽

[sailsouthpacific]

Thank you for talking about this! Yes, it's a big deal and you are so right. Menopause symptoms can be debilitating.

[miked]

Menopause leads to a lot of divorces. It did mine.

[karenalydiatt]

Excellent presentation and what forward thinking!

[bisejp]

Thank you so much to put this topic on the open table! I'm having difficulties working as much as what I did 5 years ago. I don't think my skills lowered, but I just want to work less hard. It'll take 1 more century to bring this idea to Japan, but I hope one day women in menopause will be better treated...

[KSMP]

We actually need to describe what a hot flash feels like when we talk about it. It feels like the inside of your body is suddenly on fire and you are about to spontaneously combust, for a good 3-5 minutes. I wish there were some way to simulate it for the non menstruating population. Maybe comparing it to some Marvel character radiating super-human energy when they are about to lose control would be helpful. Maybe sock puppets that you actually light on fire? That's the least of my worries though. Out of the 35 peri-menopause symptoms I've seen listed, I've experienced 24. The struggle is real, both at work and home.