Women are missing out on promotions and pay hikes because of taking time off to get through the menopause, a study has found.
Researchers discovered many see their careers derailed – or even ended – just as they reach the peak of their working life due to absences caused by debilitating menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes, insomnia, anxiety and heart palpitations.
Researchers found that while women who experience normal symptoms of menopause between the ages 50-55 take on average two months off work. Women experiencing an early period, which occurs before age 45, lose about four months.
Researchers at the Social Research Institute at University College London (UCL) estimated that women who face early menopause lose about £20,000 in wages and pension contributions from missing out on better jobs, while those who go through a more typical menopause face a £10,000 loss.
Previous research has shown that nearly 90 percent of women have menopause symptoms. However, only about 25% of them describe their symptoms as debilitating and severe.
Researchers discovered many see their careers derailed – or even ended – just as they reach the peak of their working life due to absences caused by debilitating menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes, insomnia, anxiety and heart palpitations
Alice Sullivan is the study’s coauthor.
“You are looking at women at their peak careers. This has consequences for women who want to be in the top positions. Their pension pot is decreasing, they are losing top-ranking jobs and getting less paid.
The Mail on Sunday reported last week that many women were unable to get top-level jobs because of the menopause.
Fawcett Society conducted a survey on 2,400 female workers and found half of them were less likely to be promoted due to the circumstances they faced.
This paper from UCL is the first to measure the impact of menopause on women’s employment rates. The findings of the paper are based in part on the analysis of more that 3,000 women drawn from UCL’s 1958 National Child Development Study, (NCDS).
The NCDS is a record of the lives and times of 17415 people who were born in England and Wales within a week in 1958.
A sample of 3455 women were included in the study. They had never been to hormone replacement therapy or undergone surgery to remove either their wombs or ovaries.
Professor Sullivan stated that the government must encourage employers to create policies to give women affected by work hours and working arrangements more control.
Caroline Nokes MP (chairwoman of the Women and Equalities Committee) stated: “This research backs previous surveys and studies that have clearly shown there is an enormous financial cost for women experiencing menopause symptoms.
“The Select Committee has found the impacts on career progression as well as the ability for women to remain in the workplace. It means women lose promotion opportunities, their pension contributions are lost, and they may feel incapable of continuing to work.