The MiDOViA Menopause Podcast: Real Talk on Hormones, Work, and Wellness for Midlife

Episode 046: The First Menopause Law in the U.S.

• April Haberman and Kim Hart • Season 1 • Episode 46

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Senator Lori Urso of Rhode Island takes us behind the scenes of America's first-ever workplace menopause legislation in this powerful conversation about leadership, advocacy, and breaking barriers. Drawing from her personal journey through menopause that nearly derailed her career, Senator Erso reveals how she transformed her struggles into groundbreaking policy change that's now serving as a model for other states.

The conversation moves seamlessly between deeply personal revelations and strategic policy insights. Senator Urso candidly shares how seven years of unmanaged menopause symptoms led her to actually resign from her position before finally finding proper treatment. "I almost quit my job," she reveals, highlighting the real-world consequences when menopausal women lack proper support. This vulnerability becomes the foundation for understanding why workplace accommodations aren't just compassionate—they're economically essential.

What makes this episode particularly valuable is the practical roadmap Senator Urso provides for creating change. Rather than crafting entirely new legislation, she strategically amended existing fair employment practices law to include menopause protections alongside pregnancy and breastfeeding accommodations. This smart approach positions menopause as a normal life transition rather than a disability and offers a template that other states can easily adopt.

Beyond the legislation itself, Senator Urso addresses the cultural shifts needed to truly support women in midlife. "We have to stop the narrative of 'she's crazy,'" she emphasizes, calling for greater compassion and understanding between women. Her wisdom on leadership—from trusting your instincts to considering others' perspectives in negotiations—provides valuable guidance for women navigating their own leadership journeys through the menopause transition and beyond.

Tune in to discover how this landmark legislation is sparking conversations nationwide and learn why supporting women through menopause isn't just the right thing to do—it's smart business practice in our evolving workforce. Whether you're experiencing menopause, supporting someone who is, or making workplace policy, this episode offers essential insights on creating more inclusive, productive environments for all.

Senator Lori Urso is a Democrat representing District 8 (Pawtucket) in the Rhode Island Senate. She was elected in November 2024.

Senator Urso serves as secretary of the Senate Committee on Health & Human Services, and serves as a member of both the Senate Committee on Environment & Agriculture, and the Senate Committee on Artificial Intelligence & Emerging Technologies.

Senator Urso brings a record of leadership and accomplishment in local government and the nonprofit sector. 

Senator Urso served on the Rhode Island Historical Records Advisory Board from 2015 to 2025, and has been a founding co-chair of Pawtucket International Women's Day since 2015. She served nine years on the board of the Pawtucket Foundation, and two terms on Pawtucket’s Charter Review Commission. She currently serves on the Pawtucket Riverfront Commission. 

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Email Us: info@midovia.com

MiDOViA is dedicated to changing the narrative about menopause by educating, raising awareness & supporting women in this stage of life, both at home and in the workplace. Visit midovia.com to learn more.

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April Haberman:

Welcome to the Midovia Menopause Podcast Business Edition, your trusted source for insights on menopause and midlife in the workplace. Each episode features meaningful conversations with inspiring guests. Tune in and enjoy the show. Hi everyone, did you know? Midovia has the first and only menopause-friendly accreditation program in the US. Our program is the benchmark of excellence, backed by five years of experience, working with hundreds of employers around the globe, with our worldwide partners. You can join now with a 20% discount off your first year's membership. In honor of perimenopause and world menopause months. Join before October 31st to receive your discount by visiting menopausefriendlyuscom.

April Haberman:

Welcome everyone. We are so happy today to have Senator Lori Erso of Rhode Island with us. Senator Erso's career has been defined by leadership and community impact. Senator Urso has been a passionate champion for women's leadership and health equity, and she recently made national headlines by passing the country's first workplace menopause legislation which, by the way, we're going to dive deep into in just a moment. But we're excited for the conversation because we're going to explore your journey, senator Urso, the significance of women's representation in government and how your groundbreaking menopause law is helping to spark cultural change across workplaces today. So thank you so much for joining us today and spending time having a conversation about such an important topic, my pleasure.

Senator Urso:

Happy to speak more on it.

April Haberman:

Yeah, we're looking forward to diving into the menopause legislation, but I'd like to start off by talking about your leadership and how that shapes leadership roles for other women, because I really feel like you are paving a path for the next generation and even our generation here, as many women in midlife are looking at this transitional period to change careers or step up to leadership positions. So you have been a trailblazer in multiple arenas local government, historical preservation and now in your role as Rhode Island Senate. So can I ask you, what has leadership looked like for you at different stages of your career?

Senator Urso:

Sure, well, I have always held leadership roles, I think my first position as an executive director. I was 28 years old and I've always held that role, that level of leadership position. I guess it just came very naturally to me. Some would probably say you're bossy. I think I've heard that before.

Senator Urso:

You know that's okay. But you know, I would say when I was in my 20s and 30s, I had a different perspective. Right, perhaps I was a little less patient, I hadn't had as many life experiences. I maybe was trying to achieve everything and not maybe be as compassionate or empathetic with people and those things you generate with age. Right, you go through life experiences. You have ups and downs. Occasionally you're knocked down a peg. You learn through that process to be more introspective, to think about what's behind somebody's own perspective, what they might be going through at a particular time, and it's less about you, perhaps, and more about those that you are working with with.

Senator Urso:

I've also found that as I've aged, through my work experience, I've been called on more to be a mentor to younger emerging leaders, and going through that process also gave me a different perspective that you know, once you're mentoring people, then you want to be very careful about the. You know the impact you may have on their life, the. You know the role that you would want them to emulate and so all of those things really change you. And it was funny Yesterday I had a very full day and I said to my husband you know, I thought I was peaking in life at 45. And now here I am. I just turned 61. And I feel like I'm going through a new peak, or maybe this is the peak. So you know, you're always growing and you're always changing and the possibilities are endless, as long as you, you know, stay involved and try to. You know work toward the greater good. I think that's what's important.

Kim Hart:

I love that and I think that age is beautiful. I remember people saying like when I got older, I wanted to keep my wisdom, but I wish my body was younger and I'm like whatever, yeah, yeah. And now I'm like I totally agree with that. I love that you're taking on mentoring. That's such an important thing for women who want to lead. What advice are you giving women in you know, who are up and coming right now, in this environment, at this time? What? What are some of the key messages that you're helping with?

Senator Urso:

Well, with mentoring, you know I've mentored some young women and at first blush I would meet them and typically I will mentor women who are becoming executive directors or taking on leadership roles in organizations, and occasionally I'll come across and I'll say you know, you seem like you have everything together. What can I do for you? And they're like oh no, I really don't. And it's, you know, a matter of how to maintain your self-confidence, to trust your instincts. Trusting your instincts is something that it took me a long time to learn, that. I can't tell you how many times along the way my gut was telling me something and I was ignoring that, and I don't ignore that anymore.

Senator Urso:

And I think that, generally speaking, you know we have our experience. Our education has given us those skills that we can determine what's right and what's wrong, and I think it's really important to listen to that and, of course, never stop learning. Be open to every perspective. You know not to be closed to just yours, but somebody you might not agree with or you don't think you're going to agree with their perspective, and at the end of a conversation you may not, but you still will learn something from why they feel the way they feel, and there's value in that, and I think those are the important things, as you're, you know, coming up in your career and, you know, want to have a positive experience and be a role model for others.

Kim Hart:

That's great, following your intuition. It's when you don't, when I don't, I'm like you know what you were right, right. So I think that that's trusting Great point.

April Haberman:

Yeah, trust your instinct. It made me, you know, rewind 20 years, 30 years, 40 years ago, when I was early in my career with, to your point, kim and Senator Erso, not following that instinct, and I think a lot of it comes back to self doubt and questioning your capability and that comparison. Am I good enough? We're really good at doing that as women, and I think oftentimes that holds us back from taking that next step, putting our name in the hat for a new position. And it's important to have women in leadership roles, and I'm wondering what your opinion is with that, senator Erso. When women step into leadership roles, it matters. So can you expand on that a little bit?

April Haberman:

as well, why? Why do you think that that matters?

Senator Urso:

Well, just, I wanted to go back first and I'll talk about that to something that you made me think about is the imposter syndrome that we struggle throughout our careers and this was something that really for my entire career there probably been times I'm like you know people are going to figure out that I'm really not that good and I've been certainly reinforced many times during my career, but I have fallen into that trap of doubting myself, have overcome that at some point. The self-doubt that sets in when you're going through the transition can be really debilitating. It's just one of those things that, once again, you have to overcome that. So, with women in leadership, to get to that point, I mean we have a unique perspective, right. I mean where the sex that can deliver babies, right, where we have that as unique to us, the nurturing aspect, the hormones that are associated with that oxytocin, right, and things that give us that level of compassion, empathy, ability to really have a warmth. And perhaps you'd say, oh, I know plenty of women who are cold. Yeah, I'm sure, because they're. You know they have to be tough in certain scenarios, but I think you know those drivers are unique to us and also just that. Well, I hope that things are changing as the generations, the new generations, are coming up.

Senator Urso:

But as a baby boomer, I had to deal with, you know, when sexual harassment was okay in the workplace and was, you know, quite prevalent. And when you know women were overlooked and we were considered inferior. And so you develop, you know you might put up a wall in some cases, but you also get some calluses Right and you, as you continue forward, you have a strength about you. There are challenges for women, of course, that I think men are not judged similarly.

Senator Urso:

For example, your likability, right, how often do we talk about a man's likability, but when it's a woman in a leadership position, is she likable? Well, there's just something about her that I don't like, like or I can't quite put my finger on, and we tend to be judged, you know, based on those aspects of our personality that may be rather superficial, obviously, I think. Still, we're judged by appearance, you know, and perhaps more harshly so we have to, as women leaders. As we're coming up as women leaders, we're bringing those types of experiences and breaking those barriers, and so I think that's really important, a motivator for having more women in leadership positions, more women in elected positions and, you know, bringing those, those types of sensibilities with us.

Kim Hart:

I love that.

April Haberman:

Representation matters? It definitely matters. Can I come back to something that you said too, and then I'd love to dive into the menopause bill that you were highly involved with. You noted that the self-doubt in this transitional period with menopause can really have an effect on women, and we've seen it with the clients that we work with and we've seen it with the clients that we work with. Brain fog, you know, lack of sleep, the fatigue from not sleeping night after night, you know, week after week, month after month, it begins to play games on you, especially when you have been performing at your peak. You know, high level, you're quick to the punch and then all of a sudden, menopause symptoms kick in and you have that self-doubt.

April Haberman:

We see that 14% of women don't put their name in the hat for a promotion, based on our data. You know that might look a little bit different depending on the report that you're reading, but it's a significant amount of women and I believe that that percentage is higher because there's still stigma and shame associated with menopause and therefore the data isn't real. Women aren't talking about menopause. So how many more are not putting their name in the ocean and just not talking about it? Right, it's the silent ceiling, so to speak, and I think that's one of the reasons why you advocated for this menopause legislation. So I'd love to shift gears and talk a little bit more about that. Rhode Island became the first state in the nation to pass a law requiring employers to provide menopause support, thanks to your leadership. So thank you for that. Before we move on, tell us why that was important for you personally and professionally, sure, so personally, I went through, you know, quite a challenge once I entered the menopause transition.

Senator Urso:

It took me a while to realize and I feel now like why didn't I realize what was going on with me? I should have known, but it comes on so subtly, right. And then it's just a gradual progression and of course, you're dealing with the anxiety, the self-doubt, the panic. You don't know if maybe you're sick, right um. And after the first few years of that, I was asking my doctor. You know, I need some support, something's going on. And I thought I knew hormone, menopausal hormone therapy would help me, but my first doctor just laughed at me when I suggested it.

Senator Urso:

And after the compounding of the sleeplessness, the cardiac symptoms night after night, and the brain fog that was coming from it, my inability to concentrate, but also the irritability that was coming from it my inability to concentrate, but also the irritability I had gotten to a point where I didn't think I could function in my job anymore and I almost quit my job. I actually did quit my job, but thankfully it was early March 2020. And the pandemic saved me. I'd given my boss 30 days notice. He's the chairman of our board, of my organization, and he was, like you know, I could tell he was like, why, like what reason would you have for this? And I came up with some reason and then, a couple of weeks into the 30 days, we had to shut down the museum I was running a museum at the time and lay everybody off and I said you know what? I think I'll just stay put because I knew I could go to work alone and during that time I was able to get the treatment I needed. But that experience over I mean, it was really about seven years for me led me to trying to find information, supportive information, and at the time in the United States I found that to be limited. So I turned to the UK, of course, which was far more progressive and open in this area, and I started to read Menopause Matters newsletter and they were tackling the subject of menopause in the workplace quite aggressively and I hadn't to my board members, many of whom were men, and try to explain, you know, these symptoms I was having.

Senator Urso:

So when I earned a seat in the Senate, I knew that this was an area I really wanted to champion. And you know, I started to have those conversations and I knew I would have to be very strategic about it, because I had asked one of the other senators how can I find out what types of legislation or, you know, initiatives had been proposed surrounding menopause, and she said I've never heard the word menopause in this chamber and she'd been a senator for quite a while. So I said, ok, it's going to take some bravery, I'm going to have to really open up on this and I'm going to have to face my male colleagues, but I think, with the proper strategy and taking the time to educate them, that I can make progress in this area. Frankly, I wasn't sure I could get a bill passed in the first year, and so I really was thoughtful about it and how I navigated the chamber and built the relationships that it required, but it no longer is an issue for me as an employee.

Senator Urso:

Right, that ship has sailed, although I still use menopausal hormone therapy, because when I, when I stop using it, I can see like my hot flashes, my night sweats still come back. So as long as it's safe for me to be on it, I'll continue to take advantage of that. But it's really for the generations after right, it's for the Gen Xers, who are becoming more vocal, and the millennials, who are going to demand this support, and so really, that's where I hope we'll see the impact, and that's really my motivation for taking this on. It came from my personal challenges and I knew I wasn't alone once I started to look into it, so you're not alone.

April Haberman:

You're in company of thousands and thousands of others that are literally going through the same struggle. I mean, I know Kim has her own story, I have my own story. Um, thankfully, I had a very flexible working environment at the time, like you did, when I was struggling through those symptoms or I would have quit my job as well. Kim quit her job, so she is the one in 10 that quit her job due to menopause symptoms, the one in 10 that quit her job due to menopause symptoms.

April Haberman:

And I think it comes back to what you mentioned we're not educating where the culture isn't a safe culture yet, where we have educated and trained enough everyone, across all levels of the organization, to really understand what menopause is and what it isn't, and to create those environments where women can say, hey, I'm having a hot flash or I'm having challenges and it's temporary, I need to get the help to alleviate need, or to step out of the room to grab a cold sip of water, or maybe to just step outside for a moment, right, until we can get the help that we need. So speak to us a little bit more about the bill itself, because I think there are some that would say we don't need this legislation. Some might say that it sets women up for discrimination. If we're saying we've got up to 34 plus symptoms that we can experience, that might position us as lesser than, or incapable or less productive. You fill in the blanks. So what would you say to those that are questioning the legislation?

Senator Urso:

Well, you know, I felt that women's voices around the world on this issue now have become quite loud. And for people who say, you know, where did this come from? Did this come out of left field? No, Laurie Urso didn't invent this and I've told people that. If you, you know particularly people who have doubts, if you simply Google menopause workplace and hit the news link, you'd be amazed at how far and wide this discussion is internationally. And I've noticed, even just in the past few weeks, as I've been, you know, tracking the media response. New Zealand, Kenya, Ghana, Indonesia, India, Canada, European countries women are becoming very vocal about this and need support in this area.

Senator Urso:

And in Rhode Island in my state, well, we know, I think nationally, that the fastest growing segment of the workforce is women over 40, roughly speaking. Rhode Island has an older workforce. Our worker is older. Our average worker is older than the national average and when you look at the data on our workforce, you can extrapolate that more than 11% of all people of working age in the state of Rhode Island are women between the ages of 45 and 59. Are women between the ages of 45 and 59. Because of lower birth rates over a number of decades, there are fewer workers on the young end and we keep hearing about worker shortages. So it's a lot less costly to retain your talent than to try to replace and recruit and retrain, and so women in that demographic have a level of experience that's of value to their teams.

Senator Urso:

And, as you were saying, this can be a very temporary period of life. But because of the challenge and perhaps lack of information, as I said, the menopause transition comes on very gradually. You may not know what's hitting you, you may think you have another illness, You're perhaps getting misdiagnosed, you might leave the workforce and when you finally have the treatment you need or come to the other side of this, you're like, hey, what happened? I blew up my career, everything I worked for, and now it's harder to get hired because you're fighting other barriers. So that's the idea is it's a modicum of support that we're talking about here and just helping women get through this period and remain in their positions so that they can achieve at their highest levels, they can attain a higher pay grade and, of course, most importantly, better prepare for retirement. And that's really what my goal is with this legislation is that we are preserving our workforce in Rhode Island.

Senator Urso:

Now, Rhode Island, as you know, is the smallest state. It's very small and often it's a test market for things like silently. We don't always know that manufacturers are putting products into the Rhode Island market as a test, because it's a very unique. You know geography and we can. You know they can test out different products on a small scale and I think it's the same with this legislation as we can see on a smaller scale how it will play out in the workforce, what the employers need.

Senator Urso:

In fact, I'm meeting the week after next with our Department of Labor and Training so that I can match them up with the resources that are available for employers, so that they have that information at the ready and they can provide that.

Senator Urso:

Because you know it's one thing to pass the legislation, but then you can't just leave all the employers high and dry. So I really want to be part of making those connections and making sure that the employers have the tools they need to be resourceful, you know, to be a resource for their employees, to understand what their employees, who may be at this period in their life, are going through and how to keep them on the job and help them to succeed at their highest levels. And I think if there's an unknown, you know something that's new may always be scary or people may be hesitant or resistant, but I think in time employers will see it's not a big deal and they'll have a happier workforce, a healthier workforce and a workforce that's more loyal to them because they stepped up and supported them, and that's what I'm looking for long term.

Kim Hart:

There's lots of data that says that employees want to stay when they're treated well. And the demographic issue you mentioned is is is a problem for Rhode Island, but it's going to be a problem everywhere. Yes, do you see Rhode Island's move on this model for other states? And what? What do you think it would take to make menopausal support sort of a national standard, just like the UK?

Senator Urso:

just has right. Yeah, I know it's becoming a model because I'm on Zoom calls quite often with other states that are asking me okay, how do we get this through?

Senator Urso:

So you know, the first thing about it is I worked with an attorney in our legislative council, michelle Kazarian, who was very helpful, and of course, I had, you know, maybe a bigger idea in mind, that I was going to create this new law, and you know it was going to be whatever, just recraft something new. And she said you know why don't we work within an existing framework that we have, and in our case, it's our fair employment practices law? She said we already have the framework, we just need to add a few things. It would be very simple and by doing that we'll be less vulnerable to, as the bill makes its way through the process, to people trying to amend the bill subtract from the bill.

Senator Urso:

So that is, I think, the first lesson that the other states are taking from my experience is they're looking at what is in the existing framework that simply needs to be tweaked to make this change in their states, and others might not call it fair employment practices. It could be a civil rights law, it could be other types of workplace discrimination, but for us, we simply added menopause and menopause-related conditions to what already protects women in pregnancy and during breastfeeding, and those types of accommodations. And it makes sense, right, because the menopause transition is just on the other end of the arc of what leads us to be able to get pregnant and bear children. So it's part of that same, you know, aspect of life that's unique to women, and I really think that was great advice and that was, you know, the first step towards success was approaching it that way, and so I think that's where states can perhaps be most effective in introducing it into their state.

April Haberman:

Right, yeah, and neither did Medovia. I mean, we've had a conversation, in several conversations, senator Urso, and when Medovia launched our menopause in the workplace programming, we took lessons from the UK rather than reinventing the wheel, and that's what we're talking about here. You don't have to start at ground zero. There's an easier point of entry, and I love that you're sharing that knowledge with other states, because we hope to see legislation change in all 50 states, frankly and it starts with education. I'm hearing Educate, educate, educate Not only your constituents, but in the workplace as well. So it starts with you and your colleagues and trickles out to the workplace, and I think without that education and awareness, you know, just passing a legislative bill isn't as effective as it possibly could be. That's an ongoing education that needs to happen, and I also think that this bill really I'm at a loss for words for here I want to say something, but I want to say it differently but it really is a launchpad. I'll call it. It's a spark that we can fan to begin the conversation in the workplace, because without it it might not happen. Let's face it, organizations are not anxious to talk about menopause in the workplace, and this is really a spark that starts that conversation, rather than handcuffs, if you will. I don't see this bill as handcuffs and I think it's perspective on how people can can view this. We view it as something that's sensational, fantastic. It's going to spark that conversation and I love that you are providing resources on the back end as well. To say it's not hard. We're not asking for you to spend millions of dollars to implement menopause programming in the workplace. There's simple changes that they can implement that can make a huge difference in the workplace, and we talked a couple weeks ago about the ISO 45,010, the international standard that's getting ready to be released sometime next year. Adobe has been highly involved with that and we're very much looking forward to releasing that.

April Haberman:

That's a free document that's going to be out there for any employer to download. It's not something we want to read, you know, at midnight because it's a lengthy document, but the resources are there. There are free resources that are available all over the place, and there are organizations like Madobia and others that are helping organizations to come along. So thank you again for the work that you're doing. I'm wondering what feedback you've heard, just generally speaking. What feedback are you hearing from businesses, from women's health advocates across the nation. What's the feedback been?

Senator Urso:

I mean generally very positive. There have been many articles nationwide that have, you know, obviously applauded the concept of what we're doing. There have been some that are just quite factual, that are resources for employers. Rhode Island has passed this new law. Here's some ideas that you should this type of information readily available, because I think the narrative is that this will sort of propel change in other states and so other states should perhaps be prepared.

Senator Urso:

I haven't heard much to the negative. You know, occasionally I'll hear a comment. There was one opinion piece that was released that was, you know, kind of questioned whether I was classifying menopause as a disability. And you know, all press is good press. I'm glad everybody's writing and it's fine to hear all perspectives, but there is nothing in the legislation that we pass that even uses the word disability. So we're certainly not classifying or categorizing menopause as a disability, where it's a part of life, a normal part of life. That's what we want it to be recognized as.

Senator Urso:

We want to make sure that women can discuss it without feeling they'll be discriminated in the workplace, and that's one of the protections that's provided in the bill.

Senator Urso:

And look, you know, we're in work a third of our lives. I mean, I'm in work every day during the day, so this is an important part of our day and we're interacting with more people perhaps than we do at home, and you know, we just want to feel supported through a period in our life, just like if we were trying to have a baby or if we'd become pregnant. Our employers know that they probably would consider if we had a dangerous job, that they'd want to protect us in our state of pregnancy, that they're not discriminating against us for that, knowing that we'll need family leave following the pregnancy, which some states provide or some employers provide and that perhaps, if we're breastfeeding, we need accommodations. People aren't discriminating against women because of that and we're not treating them like they're disabled. So it's the same thing with the menopause transition we're not suggesting it's a disability, nor does this legislation treat it that way.

Kim Hart:

I love that description. That's really, that's really great. That really helps clarify why this isn't a discrimination protection that you know. This is that you treat everybody equally and how, and actually how you'd want to be treated in those situations, right.

April Haberman:

And it sounds like mostly the feedback has been positive. So that's good to hear. You know we often after training sessions, we have a lot of men that attend the sessions as well as women, and that's important that everyone is educated and understands menopause. But you know we often have the most questions after our sessions from males who truly, for the first time, understand menopause. You know it's beyond the image of an old woman fanning herself. It goes much, much deeper than that and they're thankful for this education and that information because they do understand it and they truly want to support and help employees, colleagues and their spouses and partners. You know we did a session a couple months colleagues and their spouses and partners. You know we did a session a couple months ago and the line after the session to ask questions was all men.

April Haberman:

Yeah, we had questions about their partners and their spouses and how can I help, and the light bulb went off. So again, I think this is that conduit to a greater support system and normalizing the conversation and helping people to understand that this is normal, it's not a disability to your point, and it doesn't take much to accommodate an employee. And why wouldn't you as an organization? Because it benefits you as far as the employee. There's a huge business case to be made and this isn't the platform for that today, but we all know that there's a return on the investment there in retaining that talent, as you mentioned, Senator Urso, and employees are more productive when they have the support that they need. So, and employees are more productive when they have the support that they need.

April Haberman:

And if we don't have to see five, six, seven, eight healthcare physicians to get the answers that we need to help with symptoms, healthcare support is in place right. That saves an organization money on their healthcare costs. So it's a broader picture that you're painting here. I think you you have taken, if I can just say, the first few brushstrokes on this canvas to create this beautiful picture, and we are so thankful for that. Our time is coming to an end, but I want to just ask you if there's anything that you would like to share with our listeners, if you would like to say to organizations before we sign off is there anything we haven't talked about that you really have a burning desire to say? You know what they need to know this?

Senator Urso:

Yeah, I don't know, but I would just say that, you know, first of all, we have to stop the narrative of she's crazy OK, that's a big one, and that's a big one in the workplace. She's not crazy, she's just going through a natural transition in life and we need to support her. And I would say that especially to women. Ok, my experience is that, you know, women can be harsh, women can be negative. We need to uplift each other and stop being part of that narrative just to impress other people or, you know, join in a chorus of negativity. I think that's really important, I know. You know, when I went through my struggles, some women, like, turned away from me some friendships, and after the fact I thought I'm sure that person must have gone through what I went through. Where was the compassion, you know? So I think that's really important at work and just in life that we, you know, continue to support each other, empower each other, help each other through a challenging time, and I just think that will make all the difference for all of us.

Kim Hart:

Really, I love that. So where can people find you and this bill and the work that you're doing? I'm sure that if you want to, oh, no go ahead, please, okay.

Senator Urso:

Well, if you want to look up the bill, the website rilegislaturegov leads you to a platform. You can go to bills and laws and just type in number 361. This is Senate Bill 361. So if you'd like to read the bill, you can find it there. I believe my bio and a link to my email is on the Rhode Island Legislature website. You can connect with me there and perhaps my office number is on there. People are finding me, so it's not that hard yeah.

Kim Hart:

I have a feeling you're not done with this.

April Haberman:

I have a feeling you're going to have a lot more in the future.

Kim Hart:

You are going to take some leadership space in this, and it's amazing. Well, I'm happy to.

Senator Urso:

Yeah, I think it's really important and I know, as I said, I learned through my discovery that I'm not alone in this. This is a dialogue that is going on around the world and I'm happy to contribute to the greater knowledge on this subject, the dialogue and helping women to feel comfortable speaking about it and helping employers to participate in a way that you know is beneficial to them as well as their workforce.

April Haberman:

So good, you're leaving a legacy, so thank you. Yeah, you are. You know, we ask every guest, before we sign off, what the best piece of advice you've ever received or given has been. So I'm going to ask you that same question before we sign off.

Senator Urso:

Probably the advice I've used most was during a workshop on negotiation where they said before you begin a negotiation, think very carefully about what you think the position of the other side is and I alluded to that even earlier and conversing with people that perhaps don't agree with you what's their motivation, or what do you imagine is their motivation, what do you think is their perspective, what's driving them? And I think that's really important advice. I certainly have used that throughout my career. I learned it when I was volunteering for the League of Women Voters, actually probably 40 years ago, and I've always held on to that. So I would just encourage you to think about the other person's perspective and what you know, their motivations and what their motivations and what their experience may be, and take that to heart.

April Haberman:

Yeah, it's the curiosity piece right. Curiosity and learning and growing and understanding and having compassion. That's great. Well, thank you for taking the time once again to be here with us today. We're looking forward to more conversations to come on this topic, but until we meet again, listeners, go have a joy in the journey, take care.

Senator Urso:

Thank you very much.

April Haberman:

Thank you for listening to the Medovia menopause podcast. If you enjoyed today's show, please give it a thumbs up. Subscribe for future episodes, leave a review and share this episode with a friend. Medovia is out to change the narrative. Learn more at medoviacom. That's M-I-D-O-V-I-A dot com.

People on this episode

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April Haberman

Co-host
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Kim Hart

Co-host