If menopause is an essential passage in the life of a woman, it can also be a test both on a personal and professional level. Here are some keys to softening this often ignored period: peri-menopause.
In France, 17.2 million women are menopausal and 500,000 become so every year. A natural step but which can set a few hassles. The menopause is accompanied, in fact, with symptoms of variable intensity from one person to another: hot flashes, night sweats, vulvo-vaginal dryness, weight gain, muscle pain, headache, arthralgia, sleep disorders, irritability, loss of attention, lack of motivation, loss of memory, nervous depression … These symptoms can alter the quality of life Staff but also have repercussions at work, especially from the peri-menopause.
Unknown and little discussed, peri-menopause nevertheless deserves better recognition in female health debates.
Menopause, a still taboo subject
Thus, nearly 9 out of 10 menopausal women (87%) say they have felt embarrassment at work due to their symptoms. And 1 in 4 women hides them for fear of being discriminated against at work. Moreover 52 % have already heard negative comments, ” jokes Sexist, mockery in the personal and/or professional framework. This is revealed by an OpinionWay survey for Astellas Pharma France, carried out in May 2025 with a thousand menopausal women aged 50 and over. “” Women can wake up tired in the morning because of hot flashes and night sweaty. The day will then be difficult », Notes Dr. Véronique Laveix-Echallier, a gynecologist present during the press conference revealing the study.
The fact of not being able to speak about it freely and to fear for his career accentuates the arduousness and the stress linked to this period. “” These symptoms can be incapacitating and there may also be a phenomenon of isolation which adds difficulty to the difficulty “Confirms Magali Gourdon, Pole manager, Astellas Pharma France medical department.
Initiatives to improve life at work of menopausal women
The work is synonymous with performance, productivity especially in the era of generative AI. In this context, difficult to be vulnerable, more tired than his colleagues. And even when emerging ideas to try to relieve menopausal women, they can be rejected for fear of stigmatizing and serving the female cause. “” I remember a company that had proposed to pose days in the event of symptoms linked to menopause but the women of HR opposed it. Because of their education, women sometimes say to themselves: it’s a female problem, we are not going to annoy men with that And they support.
And then Caroline Loisel, QVT/HR expert sociologist, underlines that “the symptoms do not concern all women”. She therefore suggests finding ways that could serve as other subjects, for example a rest room usable also after maternity leave or after the death of a parent. This initiative would be less stigmatizing and would target a wider audience. Employer side, “ We should also be able to give more flexibility to working hours to shift these women’s working day in order to recover if they have slept badly “Suggests the gynecologist.
Some companies are already implementing projects to raise awareness of their employees, like Astellas which has deployed a program on the subject since 2024. The company offers, among other things, its managers and collaborators on menopause and uses external experts to train its managers, promote dialogue and break taboos.
Relieve the symptoms of menopause
Finally, it is also possible to act on your scale to better live the peri-menopause and its symptoms. Dr. Véronique Laveix-Echallier recommends, for example, to wear several layers of clothing. In the event of a hot flash, it will then be easier to discover yourself.
We also avoid hot materials like wool and we favor lighter those like linen for example. It is also better to have a bottle of water at hand to refresh yourself. As often, regular physical activity contributes to a good lifestyle and remains important during menopause to remain active and limit weight gain.
Certain factors promote the triggering of heat puffs, this is the case for example spicy foods, the consumption of exciting (coffee, tea, tobacco, alcohol), a high room temperature or even stress. Hypnosis, acupuncture, the use of food supplements are natural approaches that can help better support these symptoms or channel them. Relaxation exercises to reduce stress can also be beneficial and promote sleep. “” If we thus decrease puffs of night heat, sleep will be better and there will be fewer problems of concentration the next day at work; It’s a whole “Comments Dr. Laveix-Echallier. Finally, if the symptoms are invasive, talk to your doctor who can take stock with you and possibly consider treatment.
Dorothée Blancheton
