Karen Bishop of Astellas explains how menopause policies can affect employee retention and shape what younger generations expect from their employers.
Hot flashes, brain fog and anxiety can affect women during some of the busiest years of their careers. Yet menopause is still difficult to discuss openly at work, and getting appropriate support or treatment can be complicated.
Perimenopause, the transition leading up to menopause, can begin years before menstrual periods stop. For employers, this raises questions about manager training, workplace flexibility, healthcare benefits and employee retention.
Ahead of World Menopause Day on October 18, during Menopause Awareness Month, Xtalks had the opportunity to chat with Karen Bishop, Head of HR Rewards at Astellas.
Head of HR Rewards
Astellas
Karen discussed what prompted the pharmaceutical company’s menopause initiative, why insurance claims may not paint a full picture and how workplace conversations can influence employees across generations.
How Astellas Began Addressing Menopause at Work
Astellas’ menopause initiative stemmed from its research into unmet treatment needs. Around five years ago, company researchers exploring menopause treatments found little information available about the condition and a lack of open discussion surrounding it.
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“There was very little information out there. Menopause was something that was not talked about,” Karen recalled.
These findings prompted discussions about supporting Astellas’ own employees. Karen became involved from an employee-benefits perspective, especially since women currently make up the majority of the company’s US workforce.
Astellas has since introduced a menopause pledge focused on workplace support, flexibility and helping employees feel comfortable discussing their needs.
— Karen Bishop, Head of HR Rewards, Astellas
Changing How Managers Talk About Menopause
Hot flashes may be visible at work, while symptoms such as anxiety and brain fog can go unnoticed. Karen said menopause is also still treated as an uncomfortable subject or something to joke about.
“You lead with empathy when there’s an illness or a cancer diagnosis or a pregnancy. Those things are so obvious, but we’re still in that really strange place with menopause that it’s either taboo or it’s a laugh.”
Astellas has been training managers to approach menopause with the same understanding they would bring to other health and life events.
It is about leading a supportive conversation. “And honestly, doing that is very simple. It’s like, what can we provide to you now that will make this situation better?” Karen said.
Allowing breaks when needed or providing some flexibility can help employees manage symptoms while continuing to work comfortably.
Why Employers Shouldn’t Wait for Better Benefits Data
Health insurance claims may identify conditions such as anxiety or joint pain without showing whether menopause is contributing to an employee’s symptoms. This makes it difficult for benefits leaders to understand its full impact through claims data.
“Unfortunately, the data is never going to tell us it’s menopause because it’s always going to be something else.”
Karen noted how employers gradually expanded maternity leave and mental health benefits, even when the data supporting those decisions was still developing. She believes menopause support is at a similar turning point.
She also encouraged employers to consider how menopause support could improve employee health and productivity, and help experienced women stay in the workforce.
Where Workplace Support and Treatment Access Fall Short
Taking a break to manage a hot flash could be relatively straightforward for someone working at a computer. But for an employee working on a pharmaceutical production line or in a lab wearing protective equipment, it can require much more planning.
“Well, what does that mean to the production line? What does that mean to a lab maybe?” Karen asked.
Employers need to consider how flexibility and breaks can work across different roles, particularly where employees have less control over their schedules.
There are also challenges in finding healthcare professionals experienced in menopause care, with ongoing gaps in prescription coverage and higher medication costs.
Speaking about access to hormone replacement therapy following changes to boxed warning labeling, she said, “It’s been unfortunate that when the Black Box label was taken off the hormone replacement therapy, that it was almost impossible to actually get the therapies.”
Karen wants employers to continue working with their health plans and benefits partners to improve treatment availability and affordability.
— Karen Bishop, Head of HR Rewards, Astellas
The Impact on Retention and Future Generations
Menopause can arrive when women are taking on senior responsibilities at work while also raising children and caring for aging parents.
Women in this “sandwich generation” may also be managing menopause symptoms such as brain fog, anxiety and weight gain.
Some employees may consider leaving the workforce under this pressure. Others may continue working while feeling unwell or struggling to perform at their usual level, a problem Karen described as presenteeism.
So what can happen when an experienced employee leaves?
“At that point, you lose a mentor, you lose a big mentor to the organization, and that’s just costly,” said Karen.
She also thinks about younger employees who are watching how their colleagues experience menopause at work.
Many women entering perimenopause today grew up without open conversations about what their mothers or older colleagues experienced. Younger employees now have an opportunity to learn from those experiences and see how employers respond.
Karen imagined what a younger employee might remember years later: “Well, what did my employer do? I watched my boss really struggle with hot flashes and I saw how caring they were.”
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