In the United States, the average CEO is hired at the age of 54. For many of us, middle age promises to be the peak of our careers, in which decades of hard work finally pay off and we are seen as having the expertise, self-confidence, and stability necessary to move into high-level management and leadership roles. But for half the population, middle age also means another major shift: menopause.
Research: Workplace Stigma Around Menopause Is Real
For half the global population, menopause is a natural part of life. It also happens to overlap exactly with the age at which employees are most likely to be qualified to advance into top leadership positions — and the authors’ new research shows that people experiencing menopause are often judged as less leader-like, thus creating yet another barrier that holds women back in the workplace. However, the authors also found that when women talk openly about going through menopause, it can reduce this bias, helping them to come across as having high leadership potential regardless of menopausal status. As such, the authors suggest that managers must normalize the open discussion of menopause (since many women are afraid to mention such a stigmatized topic at work), create psychologically safe workplaces that empower everyone to share and ask for support without fear of retribution or discrimination, and proactively ensure that all employees feel supported — not silenced — as they progress through the phases of their careers and lives.