Many participants reported feeling their later career development was hindered by negative assumptions that combined ageism with gender stereotyping. Even if they had ten or more years to work before retirement: ‘there is an assumption that you might retire soon, that you’re not interested, but we are … I am. I love what I do.’ ‘I … want to excel and progress further’. WHAT HELPED? All the women in our study mentioned flexible working arrangements that could help manage highs and lows of energy. Examples included being able to work from home at least some of the time; being able to work variable hours; and being able to have some control over scheduling of tasks. One woman said: ‘I know if … I’ve got some phone calls to make with new clients, I won’t do that if I’m feeling particularly tired.’ Some suggested absence policies should provide for menopause leave in a similar way to the availability of maternity leave. One employer described what they have put in place informally for a specific employee: ‘There’s a woman at the moment she’s going through it, and my God, she’s like an unexploded bomb a lot of the time. But, you know, we’re able to give her some extra time; she can work from home Mondays and Fridays, so that we’re trying to take it into account.’ However, the women we spoke to had mixed opinions on whether specific policies for post-menopausal career stages are necessary. Most preferred to see a broader shift to workplace inclusivity and culture. Some highlighted how difficult it could be to contemplate a conversation with a line manager about specific needs to accommodate menopause, particularly if the manager themselves had no personal experience: ‘do you really want your boss to know that you’re not functioning very well, or to see you a bit differently?’ Better training for managers and supervisors on supporting employee health and wellbeing in general was viewed as a means to foster a more empathetic and collaborative workplace culture, and through this a means to enable women to continue working through and post menopause. MORE TO GIVE Our study is at an early stage. However, it shows so far that women have much to give to their careers postmenopause. Most want to continue working, (as much as they need to), though not necessarily full-time; some want to accelerate their careers; some want to retrain into a new area. The work reinforces the idea that the years of menopausal symptoms can often derail careers. But we found two key messages. One, if employers do not take steps to prevent that derailment, they risk losing years of both past experience and future potential. Secondly, there are steps employers can take to support women into and through their post-menopausal working lives. FIFTY FOUR DEGREES | 17 Clare Rigg is Professor of Post-Experience Management Education in the Department of Professional and Executive Management Learning. Professor Rigg is working with Dr Laura Reeves, from the University of Suffolk on the study Post Menopausal Careers. c.rigg2@lancaster.ac.uk
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