Reader Story - CEO of Access2Funding

SWEATS & BRAIN FOG

How I managed MENOPAUSE at work.

By Dawn Coker, CEO of Access2Funding

When Dawn Coker was thrust into early menopause at the age of 37 following a hysterectomy, her whole life turned upside down. Now, aged 58, she is dedicated to supporting women in business and retaining female talent by ensuring others don’t go through what she did whilst at work.

Around 1% of women experience menopause before the age of 40, either naturally or because of a medical procedure or treatment, known as surgical menopause. Dawn was one of these women, when at 35 years old she underwent a hysterectomy, followed by an oophorectomy at 37, after which she was suddenly thrown into early menopause, experiencing hot flushes within a month of surgery. Back at work, whilst still recovering, she was met with a complete lack of understanding and support from her colleagues for what she was going through. She had perspiration dripping down her face, was exhausted from having trouble sleeping and was experiencing brain fog. Dawn explained: It was really stressful having to manage my debilitating symptoms whilst working at full capacity, as well as repeatedly explaining to everyone that I was going through early menopause. I was mostly surrounded by men with it being the banking industry, and I felt quite alone in what I was experiencing. The few women that there were just didn’t care as they were young (like me) and didn’t know what menopause was. I became embarrassed by my symptoms and uncomfortable admitting that I was experiencing some memory loss because of the menopause. There were a few occasions I’d be sat in a meeting, so warm that my clothes were soaked through, leaving me withdrawn and just not myself at all. I’d often say, ‘I’m having a moment’ in a light-hearted way, but in reality, this was no joke. Feeling like I was internally combusting, I’d ask if I could sit by the window, but it often fell on deaf ears. I had no one to talk to.

After three months, Dawn was prescribed HRT and whilst her symptoms never completely disappeared, the combination of HRT and eating more healthily eased them enough for her to get on with life. However, 10 years later, when she was 47, she came off HRT and her menopausal symptoms returned for a further decade.

I had to restart that educational process all over again with my colleagues, justifying my menopausal symptoms, which was so draining. At the same time, I was also going through an upsetting divorce and moved house eight times.

Something had to change, and I left the banking sector and moved into the private sector. This is where I finally felt comfortable discussing menopause and I used my experience of managing menopause in the workplace to help HR roll out support to staff, especially around female health issues.

In 2021, Dawn, who is the chief executive officer of Access2Funding Specialists Ltd, developed and launched a menopause policy to encourage colleagues to instigate conversations about menopause and support females within the business.

Menopause is not as visible as being pregnant, for example, explained Dawn. As a woman, we are protected during pregnancy, yet menopause is something that will come to all women at some point in their lives and isn’t protected. Our menopause policy treats menopause as an ongoing health issue, rather than individual instances of ill health. It covers flexible working, workplace adjustments and management training, and applies to both females and males within the organisation. From my experience, it’s important to educate men on menopause and get them involved in the conversation, too. Education and training are key to breaking the stigma attached to menopause and transforming workplace cultures. Men can use a menopause policy to better understand what may be affecting their colleagues, as well as their wives, partners, mothers, or friends outside work. “Feeling like I was internally combusting, I’d ask if I could sit by the window, but it often fell on deaf ears. I had no one to talk to”.

According to research by the CIPD in 2019, 59% of working women between the ages of 45 and 55 who are experiencing menopause symptoms say it has a negative impact on them at work. What’s more, a 2019 study conducted by Bupa and CIPD found that 900,000 women in the UK have quit their jobs because of menopause. Developing and retaining female talent is of great importance to me as I know first-hand how having a family, not only menopause, has a knock-on effect on a woman’s career.

She concluded:

I’m proud of how resilient I am, how I overcame the challenges life threw at me, and if I can help just one other woman by sharing my experiences, it will have all been worth it!