The relevance of the menopause to the occupational safety and health of women workers

While there have been advances in considering the occupational safety and health (OSH) of those women who work, there are some areas that do not receive the attention that they should within this environment. These areas include those that are part of women's life experiences, such as menstruation and menopause. There is limited OSH-related research in these areas, even though there are calls by policy makers and employee representatives for this to be increased. These ‘invisible’ issues are female-specific, and for the most part they remain ‘off the agenda’ as work-related stressors. Research shows that there are physical and socio-emotional effects on women when they are menopausal, with higher rates of depression and somatic symptoms occurring. As such, there is a need to identify possible workplace risk factors that impact on the timing and health consequences of menopause, and to determine how women respond in turn to these occurrences when working. There are increasing numbers of older women at the workplace, due to fewer childcare responsibilities and as a result of many years of changes in employment patterns. Menopause as a natural part of the life cycle for women may occur during a women's career and is especially relevant with the ageing workforce and the requirement to stay in the workplace for longer periods than before. Older women’s re-entry to work benefits economies, with studies reflecting the stronger work ethic of older workers, which may influence productivity and performance. This presentation will explore how menopause affects a sample of employed women in Australia and the UK. Menopause is most commonly studied for its health consequences for women during the menopausal transition, with links to physical symptoms and mental health (especially depression), cardiovascular and musculoskeletal problems. Within the workplace, depression is linked to poorer interpersonal relationships with colleagues, decreased work performance and the increased incidence of presenteeism and absenteeism. The severity and duration of menopause symptoms will be compared with mental health problems to understand how the demands (e.g. environmental constraints) and resources (e.g. social support, job autonomy) of the workplace, in conjunction with their family roles, influence the women’s attitudes to menopause and to their work. Identifying the risks in the workplace that either reduce demands or increase resources available to the women during their menopausal phase will highlight the OSH concerns of women and provide suggestions to reduce any negative impacts these may have on women in the workplace