My name is Emma van Leuken, and as part of my master’s program in Healthy Ageing, I am evaluating various interventions aimed at creating a supportive work environment and their impact on work performance, absenteeism, knowledge, attitudes, social support, and the barriers to discussing symptoms with managers.
Menopausal symptoms negatively affect work performance and job satisfaction and can contribute to higher absenteeism rates (Dennis & Hobson, 2023; Verdonk et al., 2022). Increasing knowledge, awareness, open communication, and social support in the workplace helps women experience fewer symptoms (Atkinson et al., 2021; Namazi et al., 2019; Dennis & Hobson, 2023). Managers play a key role in addressing these symptoms and providing support (Brewis et al., 2017). In my quantitative intervention study using a pretest-posttest design with a control group, I am evaluating the effects of interventions on work performance, absenteeism, knowledge, attitudes, social support, and the barriers to discussing symptoms with managers. The research is being conducted across four academies of Avans University of Applied Sciences and will be completed in June 2025. The interventions include workshops, communication campaigns, coaching, an information page, and awareness-raising initiatives.
Bibliography:
Atkinson, C., Carmichael, F., & Duberley, J. (2021). The menopause taboo at work: Examining women’s embodied experiences of menopause in the UK police service. Work, Employment and Society, 35(4), 657–676.
Brewis, J., Beck, V., Davies, A., & Matheson, J. (2017). The effects of menopause transition on women’s economic participation in the UK.
Dennis, N., & Hobson, G. (2023). Working well: Mitigating the impact of menopause in the workplace-A narrative evidence review. Maturitas, 177, 107824. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.maturitas.2023.107824
Namazi, M., Sadeghi, R., & Behboodi Moghadam, Z. (2019). Social determinants of health in menopause: An integrative review. International Journal of Women’s Health, 11, 637–647.
Verdonk, P., Bendien, E., & Appelman, Y. (2022). Menopause and work: A narrative literature review about menopause, work and health. Work, 72(2), 483–496.
https://doi.org/10.3233/WOR-205214