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[Night_Owl]

Women battling menopause 'are forced out of jobs'

Campaigner says companies are ignoring impact it has on employees

* Ros Altmann advises the Government on how to keep over-50s in work
* Says other life-changing events are recognised, but menopause is taboo
* Adds some women struggling with symptoms are perceived to be under-performing and are forced out of their jobs

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2974904/Women-battling-menopause-forced-jobs-Campaigner-says-companies-ignoring-impact-employees.html



Due to certain circumstances, I haven't worked full time for 3.5 years - and have been job seeking for months, with no luck.

Where are those who have/need to work going to find employment until the age of 67?  I have another 15 years working life remaining.

It's a real worry.



Night_Owl
x

[Dorothy]

I'm currently out of work for the first time in my life and struggling even to cope with job hunting - on a bad day, even getting out of bed to get breakfast is challenging!  I'm 39 and trying hard to take life one day at a time as I know I need to work full time to make ends meet, but some days I can't imagine even being able to work part time.  Trying not to panic about the future but it's hard not to!  I really want to work and know that in the right environment I can contribute a lot, but how do you find that place?

Have mixed feelings about leave for menstruation being separate from sick leave though - I battled with severe pain and bleeding for years after my GP told me it was 'normal' and I should 'get over it'.  It affected my work so badly when I was on a temp-to-perm contract that I was told I wouldn't be made permanent if I couldn't sort it.  This drove me back to see a different GP who put me on the pill aged 30 and I was able to live a normal life for the first time since my early teens.  If I'd been able to take the worst 3 days off every month, I probably would have just kept living with it, never got the help I needed and would have had practically no quality of life for the past 9 years.

[Taz2]

It seems that as women have become a much stronger part of the workforce the menopause, and the effect it has on some women, has been overlooked.However, I reckon the bottom line is that businesses have to be profitable. Having had our own business for over thirty years it was imperative that all of the staff we took on were able to carry out their jobs. If time off due to menopausal symptoms was something we had to accommodate then it would definitely have changed how we viewed job applications from older women. Small businesses in particular can't afford to have someone who is off sick for a lot of the time even though there would be sympathy for the employee who was suffering. There seems to be no easy answer.

Taz x

[honeybun]

Not only a stronger part but a much bigger part.

The newspaper's say this morning that only 1 in 10 women are stay at home mothers.

Honeyb
x

[Winterose]

Having my own small business I agree with Taz2 but always favour older ladies / Gents as they are more likely to be reliable.  Luckily none seem to struggle with  menopausal issues,  more like families cause more grief one way or another.

If 1 out of 10 are stay at home mothers perhaps if it appeals for unemployed  there sounds like room for more childminders.
However I feel thats a shame as small children need mothers at home and I wonder if where there are so many family issues later on they could have been helped a bit by mums or a permanent carer being at home. 

[Dorothy]

If time off due to menopausal symptoms was something we had to accommodate then it would definitely have changed how we viewed job applications from older women.

In some sectors, women of 'childbearing age' are still discriminated against, though it can be hard to prove.  I think you are right, and rules regarding menopausal women would make it harder for them to get work too.

But it would be nice if there could be more flexibility for them - I've noticed that no one seems to have a problem offering flexible work/working from home to someone with children, but if you need it for some other reason (caring for parent/personal health issues) it seems to be much harder to get. 

[CLKD]

A bit of a meander this, however.   It is time that women made the choice between having a child and work 

Children need their mothers around.  That's what mothers do! child care ……… my Dad wouldn't allow my Mum to work and it wasn't until he was seriously ill that she considered returning to the work place.  We need to put mothers back with their children, we need to make child rearing worthwhile - something to cherish, to value ……….

The financial issue of staying at home needs sorting.  To encourage women to 'make a home' ……… a place of safety, fun and maybe then women would begin cooking from scratch ……… but the cost of buying a home means that couples are required to go into the workplace.  Of course remaining at home affects the Pension too, which is another reason why ladies of 'our' age want to continue at work.  Also we have a LOT to offer which should be valued.  As stated though, when running a Business it is important to have a reliable workforce …….

I suffered DREADFUL periods when in College, my GP put me on The Pill which eased symptoms.  There were days missed from education and from work ……… generally though I coped somehow, dreading the next period.  Anxiety caused me to leave work ………….

Did the article mention the battle that ladies have getting their GPs to recognise symptoms ……… which is often the 1st battle even before we get to work 

[Hurdity]

Sorry to hear about this Night_Owl - it must be a real worry - do you have to wait until 67 to get your pension? That's ridiculous. I got off lightly as my birthday is early in the financial year it changed dramatically so I will be just over 63. Even on HRT and having gone through menopause it is difficult for older women competing for jobs.

I would urge any woman to try to think creatively if possible of ways to become self-employed  in your 50's if you can (unless really confident of your job and ability to keep/get one!). This at least can cushion you from the vagaries of the workplace and the unfair discrimination encountered. I realise this is not possible for some women for financial or other reasons but may be some might consider giving it a go - perhaps through some sort of re-training?

Being forced to work until 67 is not a welcome prospect....

Hurdity x

[CLKD]

68  It certainly is not - not what we were led to believing would be necessary 

[Taz2]

I'll be 65 when I get my pension. I missed being able to get it at 63 by a measly two months!!

Taz x

[CLKD]

I daren't think about how much I missed beginning my Pension by ………. it kicked in at last!

[pj44]

I don't get my pension till 68, to me that feels 👵 I'm not working at moment as I was bullyed out of last job.  I have the problem because of anxiety not being able to go far from home so need to work close to home. I am doing a college course to try and help to upgrade my skills. But I'm not sure what I can mentally and physical do workwise.

[Taz2]

Just out of interest are we all confident that we will get a pension i.e. that we have paid in enough over the years?

Taz x

[honeybun]

Do you not get the basic state pension anyway ?


Honeyb
x

[Morwenna]

I received a letter from the Inland Revenue about ten years ago advising I had 'missed' a year of national insurance contributions and that if I sent them £350 it would make up the deficit and not affect my eventual state pension rate. I chose not to do this at the time as I calculated it would not make too much difference but yes Taz I believe if you have not worked all your life it does affect the state pension in some way?