Menopause, GBV At Work: Why Women Need Safer Workplaces

By IOL Reporter

Menopause, mental health and gender-based violence are among the personal issues affecting women at work, prompting calls for employers to create safer spaces for difficult conversations.

From hot flushes during meetings to the impact of violence at home, some experiences remain difficult for employees to discuss in the workplace.

Empact Group believes employers need to create environments where employees can raise sensitive issues without embarrassment, judgement or fear.

The issues were among those discussed at the company’s Women’s Day gathering in August, which included contributions from Redefining Menopause Africa and the TEARS Foundation.

An “Ask, Share, Bloom” panel discussion also encouraged employees to speak about issues that are often excluded from formal workplace conversations.

For Sanele Mlambo, Group Marketing & Communications Executive at Empact Group, employees do not leave the realities of their personal lives at the workplace door.

“Women do not stop experiencing what is happening in their bodies, homes and personal lives when they walk through the workplace door,” said Mlambo.

“If something is affecting a person’s health, confidence, safety or ability to work, we need to become comfortable enough to talk about it. Silence does not make those realities disappear.”

Menopause and the workplace

Menopause can affect a woman’s working day through symptoms including hot flushes, disrupted sleep, anxiety, changes in mood and difficulty concentrating.

Yet some women remain reluctant to discuss menopause at work because they fear embarrassment, ridicule or being treated differently by colleagues and managers.

Empact Group says support does not always require major policy changes.

Practical measures could include breathable uniform fabrics, alternative clothing options, access to a fan or cooler meeting room, and managers who understand the potential impact of menopause.

“Sometimes we need to look at workplace practices we have taken for granted and ask whether they still work for the people using them,” said Salwa Albertyn, Group Human Resources Executive at Empact Group.

“A policy may ultimately be part of the answer, but so can practical adjustments, better-informed managers and a working culture where people feel able to ask for what they need without feeling uncomfortable about it.”

Approximately 78% of Empact Group’s employees are women, while women currently hold about 66% of its management positions.

Mlambo said this made it important for the organisation to examine its own workplace practices.

“These conversations give us an opportunity to listen first and then ask what we should be looking at ourselves,” she said.

“There is always value in examining whether the working environment, policies and everyday practices reflect what employees actually experience.”

Gender-based violence follows women to work

The impact of gender-based violence can also extend into the workplace.

An abusive partner may repeatedly contact an employee during working hours, while victims may need time to seek medical attention, attend court or speak to a counsellor.

Employees may also arrive at work distressed or exhausted following an incident at home. For some, the workplace may be one of the few places where they feel safe.

Albertyn said having an open-door policy was important, but employees also needed to feel confident that they would be treated with sensitivity.

“My door is always open to anyone in our organisation who needs support,” she said.

“What conversations such as these remind us, however, is that people must feel safe enough to walk through that door. They need to know that they can speak without judgement and that what they share will be handled with care and discretion.”

Managers, the company said, are not expected to act as counsellors, doctors or investigators.

However, they can be trained to listen, understand internal reporting and referral processes, recognise when professional assistance is needed and respond appropriately to sensitive disclosures.

The discussion also highlighted the importance of involving men in conversations about issues traditionally labelled as “women’s issues”.

Menopause affects colleagues, partners, families and teams, while conversations about gender-based violence cannot exclude men.

From cleaner to logistics planner

The Women’s Day gathering also highlighted the theme of “Embracing a Rebirth of Confidence” through the story of an employee who transformed both her health and career.

The employee spoke about reclaiming her health and confidence after winning Empact Group’s annual internal health challenge.

She had originally joined the company as a cleaner and now works as a logistics planner.

Mlambo said the experience showed that confidence could be reclaimed in different ways, whether through improved health, speaking about difficult experiences or pursuing new professional opportunities.

“There is enormous value in creating working environments where people can see possibilities for themselves,” she said.

“That might mean progressing into a new role, taking better care of your health or feeling able to say, ‘I am struggling and I need some support.’ All of those conversations require a degree of trust.”

Creating safer workplaces

Women’s Month often focuses on celebration and recognition, but Empact Group said it should also provide an opportunity for employers to examine the issues employees may still find difficult to discuss.

These include whether workplace policies reflect employees’ lived experiences, whether working conditions and uniforms accommodate women at different stages of life, and whether managers know how to respond when an employee asks for help.

Mlambo said creating a more supportive workplace could start with having difficult conversations.

“Sometimes the starting point is simply having a courageous conversation,” she said.

“When somebody feels they have to hide what they are experiencing in order to be considered professional, there is an opportunity for employers to listen more carefully.”

“The conversation gives us somewhere to start. What we do with what we have heard matters next.”