To understand how the menopause transition affects women working in financial services, how this affects the pipeline of female talent, and how women experiencing menopause transition can be better supported, we conducted a mixed-methods study.
We surveyed people working in the financial services sector, through an online survey which had 2,376 respondents from 22 different organisations, of which 2,089 were women and 287 were men. To understand how all employees could be better supported to address the menopause, we conducted seven focus groups, and ten depth interviews, with different groups of men and women. We also conducted best practice interviews with representatives from financial services firms already taking action to support their employees.
Profile of the workforce
The financial services sector comprises 59% men and 41% women. iiGiven the age profile of the sector, 9% of the workforce, or around 128,000 people, are women aged between 45 and 55 – the age at which women are most likely to experience the menopause.
The stages of the transition
There is no universally accepted definition of the different stages of the menopause. Based on the different definitions used, the different phases can be broadly grouped into four general stages, some of which overlap.
The menopause usually happens between the ages of 45 and 55.vi However, for many women it happens earlier. Across the globe, 12.2% of women experience early menopause between 40 and 45 years of age, while 3.7% of women reach the menopause earlier than 401. Symptoms can occur for women long before periods stop.
Trans men’s experiences of the menopause will vary depending on whether they choose to have surgery or hormone treatment, or the type they choose, and the age at which they transitioned, but it is important to know that menopause may affect them, and the effect may be complicated by not wishing to disclose their trans status at work.vii Trans women undertaking hormone therapy may experience some pseudo-menopausal symptoms if hormone therapy is interrupted or unstable.viii
* A full description of the methodology used is available in Appendix 1 of the full report. 1 As part of a phenomenon known as premature ovarian insufficiency, which has different accompanied hormonal changes.