Exploring the experiences of perimenopausal women in Canadian workplaces

Perimenopause refers to the transitional period leading up to menopause, signaling the end of a woman’s reproductive years. For many women, this phase comes with a range of physical and emotional challenges, including hot flashes, sleep disturbances, mood swings, and difficulty concentrating that is sometimes referred to as “brain fog.” However, many Canadian women in the workplace suffer in silence and navigate this stage of life in isolation due to stigma and lack of support. Indeed, the topic remains largely ignored in the professional world.

To shed light on women’s lived experiences with perimenopause in the workplace, Professor Madeline Toubiana has received a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Insight Development Grant to conduct a groundbreaking project. Entitled “Perimenopause and Women’s Work-Related Experiences”,  this project seeks to delve deeper into this critical issue.

“Despite perimenopause being a phenomenon every cisgendered woman goes through, we have almost completely ignored it in management scholarship,” says Toubiana. She adds that “while we are generating awareness more broadly on the topic, thanks to thought leaders around the world, we still tend to focus on its medical impacts, rather than on how it shapes women’s working lives. In this project, we sought to change this.”

Understanding the impact of perimenopause on women in the workplace

The research examines the impact of perimenopause on women at work, identifying strategies to navigate the transition, with the goal of challenging the stigma surrounding women’s aging bodies in the workplace. The lack of attention to this issue is troubling, as many women are navigating perimenopause while still in the workforce and often at the pinnacle of their careers. By addressing this often-taboo topic, the study aims to break the silence and provide organizations with a better understanding of women’s experiences to create more inclusive and supportive environments for them during this crucial life stage.

To better understand women’s experiences of perimenopause at work, Toubiana uses a two-pronged approach: interviews with women experiencing perimenopause across Canada; and content analysis of print and social media. Interviews provide personal insights, while content analysis reveals societal portrayals of perimenopause and how perceptions may have evolved overtime.

Perhaps most importantly, Toubiana and her research team are using this grant to launch what they call the “Perimenopause Project”, which they intend to kick-start at Telfer in February with a viewing of their commissioned animated documentary, along with a panel and an interactive event on perimenopause. By sharing this video, they aim to trigger conversations about perimenopause at work. They have also designed a website where women can interact and share their own experiences with text, images, and video.

Their research will provide valuable insights that target several key audiences. It will offer a deeper understanding of perimenopause, focus on women’s workplace experiences of it, and present practical coping strategies to the general public and media. It will also introduce new perspectives on how bodily changes shape the identities of workers and help address the stigma surrounding the academic study of perimenopause in the workplace. Moreover, the study will uncover actionable strategies that private and nonprofit organizations can implement to support women during this life stage, ultimately fostering a workplace culture that is both inclusive and supportive.