The MiDOViA Menopause Podcast: Real Talk on Hormones, Work, and Wellness for Midlife
Welcome to The MiDOViA Menopause Podcast — your go-to source for science-backed, expert-led insights on menopause, perimenopause, and midlife wellness.
We cover everything from hormone therapy to hot flashes, brain fog to bone health, workplace policies to personal empowerment. Whether you're navigating menopause yourself or supporting others, this podcast offers practical tools, real talk, and trusted guidance.
Brought to you by MiDOViA, the first and only U.S. organization offering menopause-friendly workplace accreditation, we’re on a mission to change the narrative—at home, at work, and in society.
🔗 Explore free resources at midovia.com
⚠️ Medical Disclaimer:
This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have.
The MiDOViA Menopause Podcast: Real Talk on Hormones, Work, and Wellness for Midlife
Episode 053: The Truth About Menopause: Menopause At Work: Why it Matters
Menopause doesn’t clock out when we clock in—and ignoring that truth is costing organizations billions while pushing experienced talent to the margins. We sit down with Rachel Hughes of Alloy Women’s Health to unpack how symptoms like brain fog, sleep disruption, and hot flashes intersect with deadlines, shifts, and team dynamics. Through relatable stories and clear data, we map the ripple effects of untreated menopause—from presenteeism to turnover—and show why treating it as a workplace issue is both a moral imperative and a competitive advantage.
We break the cycle of silence with a practical playbook leaders can use right away. Think health transition policies, manager training that encourages empathy over awkwardness, flexible scheduling for heavy symptom phases, and small environmental tweaks that bring real relief. We also make the case for pairing culture change with clinical access. Many women are excellent candidates for menopause hormone therapy, yet uptake remains low due to misinformation and barriers to care. When evidence-based treatment meets psychologically safe workplaces, confidence returns and careers stay on track.
You’ll learn how to translate culture into metrics by listening first: run baseline surveys, track absenteeism and retention, and refine programming based on what employees actually need. We share low- and no-cost steps for organizations without big budgets, plus resources for individuals ready to seek help. Along the way, we highlight the role men can play as allies and managers, and why leadership is more about tone than title. The result is a roadmap that turns intention into implementation—and proves that when people feel seen as whole humans, performance and loyalty rise together.
If this conversation resonates, subscribe, share with a colleague, and leave a quick review. Your support helps more teams replace stigma with support and turn midlife into a season of strength.
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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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Welcome to the Medovia Menopause Podcast, your trusted source for information about menopause and midlife. Join us each episode as we have great conversations with great people. Tune in and enjoy the show.
SPEAKER_01:Hello, everyone. Welcome to our final session of our four-part webinar series in recognition of Menopause Awareness Month. I can't believe we only have a few more weeks left, but we're proud to bring this important conversation to life through a partnership between Alloy Health, a leader in evidence-based menopause care and telehealth solutions, and Medovia, the U.S. workplace leader in menopause and midlife health. And throughout this series, we've been breaking down the myths, sharing the latest science, and highlighting real experiences of women navigating perimenopause, menopause, and beyond. And our goal is simple. Together, we want to replace the silence with knowledge, empower women to advocate for themselves, and give organizations the tools that they need to build supportive cultures. Together, Alloy Health and Medovia are working to change the way menopause and frankly this stage of life is understood in healthcare, in the workplace, and in society. So thank you for joining us as we open the door to honest, informed, and hopeful conversations. So today, we're addressing menopause at work, why every employer should care. And April and I are joined by Rachel Hughes. Rachel is the community manager at Alloy Women's Health, where she helps bridge the gap between women seeking answers and the science-backed solutions that support their well-being. Rachel's career spans dance, education, nutritional counseling, and more than a decade of working with chronic pain patients. Her personal experience with Perimenopause led her to become a passionate advocate and educator, launching Perry Talks and hosting the PerryP Perimenopause what sorry, I'll use the acronym WTH podcast. I really wanted to say it, you guys, but I know it's okay. That helped grow from the Peri app to the number one menopause community platform. And at Alloy, Rachel now leads webinars and community programs that empower women with clarity, connection, and expert hormonal care. We're doing a new thing today or something we all haven't tried. We're going to co-facilitate. So Medovia will ask Rachel questions and then Rachel will ask Medovia questions, but we're super excited. Rachel, welcome, welcome to the webinar.
SPEAKER_00:Thank you so much for having me. It's an absolute pleasure to be with you.
SPEAKER_01:We're excited. So Alloy's mission has been to close the gap in menopause care. What are you hearing most often from women about how their workplace experience intersects with their health?
SPEAKER_00:What I hear again and again is that menopause doesn't clock out when you go to work. Women talk about brain fog during meetings, poor sleep that bleeds into focus, or hot flashes that make them feel exposed or embarrassed in front of colleagues. But what really comes through is the silence around it. And that silence shows up everywhere. So not just in corporate offices, but in classrooms, hospitals, kitchens, factories, hotels, um, teachers trying to keep it together in front of students, nurses on double shifts, women on their feet and hospitality or retail, whatever it is. Um, women are all navigating symptoms while trying to do their jobs. And I would say that what generally starts to shift is a moment of candor. So one person saying, This is what's happening to me is where connection and culture sort of collide and change can begin. And I will tell you that when I was working um with chronic pain patients, I was probably in my early 40s and I was really sort of in my um perimenopausal peak uh and doing very poorly. I was really struggling mentally and physically, and I was making mistakes in the office, and it was difficult, it was scary, I worried about keeping my job. Um, and I it actually took a moment with a patient who had come into the office whose appointment I had screwed up. And she said, Oh, it happens to me all the time. And I said, I feel like I just I cannot remember. I can't remember from the time, you know, I walk to the end of the door that I'm supposed to do something else when I get back and whatever it is. And she said, Oh, I know it, you know, yeah, it's it's perimenopause, it's your hormones. And and we sort of had a good laugh and a good, you know, moment of camaraderie, but it also sort of freed me up to then go to the people I was working with in office and say, hey, I think this is happening to me. And I don't want to make too big a deal about it. I don't really know about it. Um, do you? And can we be in lockstep about how I'm doing because I don't want to lose my job and I don't want to sort of ruin your time and space here.
SPEAKER_03:It's such a brave thing, though, um, for you to do that. And there, and I'm sure we'll unpack that in our conversation today when we flip the script and you start asking us questions. But um, you know, we hear that often that it's not a safe space for people. And unless you have the cultural change and normalize the conversation in the workplace, that employees aren't asking for that support. So um grave actually at that point in time, if you think about where Menopause was when you had that conversation. And, you know, I think a lot of women um don't ask for help. They suffer in silence because they fear that conversation or losing their job. And I know Alloy um just recently published insights um about the cost of untreated menopause from that missed work day to the higher medical spend. And I'm wondering if you can share some of the data or stories that surprised you the most from that information and that data.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, great question. Thank you. Um, the number that really struck me is really about how far the ripple effect goes. Um, that untreated menopause doesn't just lead to absenteeism, it leads to presenteism. So women are showing up but not operating at their best because they're exhausted, anxious, or foggy brained. Um you're right, the stories behind the data are the ones that stay with me. I've spoken to women who've left jobs because they couldn't name what was happening, um, others who spent months or even years seeking help from specialist to specialist, using up sick days, spending money, um, and still not getting an answer. Um it's heartbreaking mainly because it's all preventable, I think. And when we connect the dots between cost and care, both financial and emotional, the case for treating menopause as a public health and workplace issue becomes undeniable. Um the data actually looked up a bit because I I don't I didn't exactly know where we are in the moment versus where we've been just most recently. But apparently the average US working woman spends roughly 8,000 days in the perimenopause to menopause transition. More than half of those women say that their symptoms do interfere with their job performance. Menopause costs United States employers about$18 billion a year in absenteeism, which is staggering. Um, and companies, and this is what's so important and hopeful, that companies that offer education and flexibility see up to 40% lower turnover among midlife employees. So to me, that's just an incredible signal that when women are supported, everyone benefits productivity benefits, retention benefits, morale benefits. And that's really something that we see firsthand at Alloy, where education and access to care um consistently translate to women staying engaged in their work and in their lives.
unknown:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Well, one of the things that I love that I've learned actually through this podcast series is that you've got great community networks of folks that come together. And I know, and I'm sure you just like us, Rachel. I'm sure anytime you get in a room and say, This is what I work in the menopause space, everyone wants to tell you their story, right? Because finally someone might listen and understand to what I'm going through, but because gosh, it's lonely. And um, I had an appointment this morning with this woman in Perry Menopause, and she was just like, I feel like I'm going crazy. And I'm like, What are you doing? And where are you finding your people? Like, let's talk about this a little bit. But for your community conversations are huge in terms of the intel that you're getting, and you probably heard a lot about what women wish their employers would do to help support them. What have you heard in terms of what they wish they had? Because I love your conversation. Like, do you know anything about this? Because I don't know anything about this. I was, you know, that's that's real honest, right? But what do you what do they wish employers understood about menopause and where are employers' biggest blind spots when it comes to supporting women?
SPEAKER_00:Thank you for this question. I hear from women a lot in support groups um that they are feeling a lack of support. And certainly in the workplace, this is um painfully significant to their livelihoods. So it's a it's a big, it's a big deal. Um I think mostly women wish their employers understood that menopause isn't a niche or a women's issue. Um it's a workforce issue. We know nearly half the workforce will experience it, often in their peak career years. Um in the US, I believe it's something 80% of the workforce over the age of 40 or between the ages of 40 and 54, I believe it is, are women. And one in 10 of them will consider leaving their jobs because of menopausal symptoms. And by the time these women are 55 to 64 years old, that workforce number drops to something like 60%. So the problem isn't capability. Um, symptoms like brain fog, fatigue, or insomnia affect focus and confidence, as we stated, but it doesn't affect intelligence or ambition. Um, other countries we know we've seen the UK, Australia, Canada, have already enacted national workplace menopause policies. And here in the in the US, you know, the work you guys are certainly doing helps to sort of help us here remain committed to this conversation. Um I would say it's important to mention that the blind spot is assuming that this is something that happens to executives behind closed doors. It's happening everywhere, as I mentioned to teachers, healthcare workers, uh, workhouse supervise, warehouse supervisors, line cooks, baristas, bus drivers. So support might look different in each setting. It could be schedule flexibility or access to temperature-controlled spaces, or even just the grace to step away for a moment, which is the experience that I had. But it starts the same way everywhere, right? With awareness and empathy. And what women tell me more than anything is that they want to be seen not as less capable or fragile, but as whole people navigating this very normal life stage while still delivering tremendous value at work. Um, and I think part of what women ask for is access to care. And what I will often recommend is listing things out, whether it's your symptoms that you then take to your doctor's appointment or it's your strategy list. And on that list should be to schedule a visit with a menopause specialist. So beyond workplace flexibility, sometimes the biggest relief doesn't come from policy, it comes from treatment. And many women don't realize that they are indeed excellent candidates for hormone therapy, which can dramatically improve so many of their symptoms, among them focus, lack of sleep, overall well-being. So, yes, you can ask for the flexible hours or environmental changes, but you really deserve clinical guidance. Um, and there's just so much research out there. We know that MHT is the most effective treatment for menopausal symptoms and has extra benefits as well.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah. Access to care is so critical for women to get the help that they need so that they can return to the workplace, right? That that's ultimately what we want is for women not to suffer and to be able to return to the workplace or stay in the workplace so that those numbers decrease, right? Um, of women leaving. Um, I want to I want to ask this question because it's um it's something that Kim and I banter back and forth about all the time. And I'm curious um to know what your answer is. You you um mentioned that many employers start off by adding a benefit, a menopause benefit, but you've said before that that's only one piece of the puzzle. So can you expand on that and tell us what else, in your opinion, is needed to make real change?
SPEAKER_00:Sure. Um, so I, you know, first of all, let me just say benefits are uh a fantastic starting point, but they're not the full picture. A menopause benefit will give women access to care, hopefully, which is crucial. But real change happens when the culture shifts along with the policy. So employers can make a huge difference with very simple steps like um formalizing a menopause or health transition policy. So women don't have to start from scratch asking what's allowed, um, educating managers and staff. So menopause becomes normalized rather than stigmatized. So trainings, awareness sessions, internal communications. I think offering flexible work arrangements sounds great. But in reality, you know, remote options exist and maybe sort of the key to a woman's um transition for some time. Um, shift adjustments or later start times, especially during the heavier symptom phases. Adjusting the physical environment comes up a lot, better temperature control. I think that's a tough one, you know, if you're in an office with 200 people and sort of demanding that the temperature be below 65 degrees, some pushback. Um, but you know, it's a conversation perhaps in your workplace uh it is uh accessible to you. I think monitoring workplace culture, are women safe to speak up? Are leaders modeling empathy, are peer support groups, or like menopause champions, sisters in place? And importantly, I think linking menopause support to business outcomes like retention, engagement, and innovation, because it's not just well-being, it's good leadership. So that means training managers to lead with understanding, revising HR language, ensuring that every employee from the break room to the boardroom feels comfortable naming what they're experiencing. And again, remembering that it's not limited to corporate spaces. You know, there's a platform out of the UK UK that I I had a chance to observe here in the United States called Over the Bloody Moon. And you know, are you familiar with her? Fantastic. And she created this um this vest that I can't remember the the cat. Um and I had an opportunity to watch her in action here in a New York company, and it was fascinating. So she gave the vest to two men who were both um, you know, higher up in the company. And I think it was like an hour, maybe two, that they went off. You know, everyone went on. We had we gathered, we talked, we talked about the vest. Then the two men put on the vest and had the experience of random hot flashes for let's just say it was two hours. And then we all gathered back again and talked about it. And I have to say, it was such a perfect example of culture change not starting with policy. It starts with people talking and learning and realizing that they're not alone. And finally, I mean, I would just say, you know, I'd add again that one piece that really matters is speaking with a menopause trained practitioner. I bang this drum a lot, but you know, the clinicians, for example, that we have at Alloy, because the truth is if you're experiencing symptoms, you are a candidate for menopause hormonal therapy. It can make all the difference for you personally and professionally. Um so yeah, that's what I would throw in there.
SPEAKER_01:Well, I totally agree with all that. I mean, I know. I'm shaking my head like, yep, no, you're gonna have to take my hormone patch out. I'm speaking in a choir here. Yeah, no, I love it. But I love that you talk about leadership and culture. And you gave a really good example of uh the executives wearing the menovest, which is seems like a funny thing, but you know, you're actually in the lived experience there. Do you have other examples in your mind where leadership really made the difference to help, you know, help change the culture and help people with born with ovaries feel comfortable in the workplace?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I would say, you know, we we the word leadership suggests someone above us, and that isn't always the case. Leadership doesn't always mean someone with a title. Um, sometimes it's the team lead who checks in quietly, or the shift supervisor who advocates for a fan or flexible scheduling, or just the colleague who says, you know, I've been there too. Um, I think when leaders at any level model empathy, they give everyone else permission to follow. And that's when the culture really starts to evolve. I would say again, at uh at Alloy, that's been true from the start. Our founders built this company on transparency. They've always led with honesty about their own experiences and a deep respect for women's health is essential, not optional. Um, as well is so importantly as a deep belief that women deserve evidence-based care and respect at every stage of life. So, you know, the workplaces that get this right understand something quite simple but profound that leadership is less about hierarchy and more about tone. Um, and the tone that says, like, this is a place where you're allowed to be human. Um, so yeah, that's that's allowed to be human, right?
SPEAKER_03:Allowed to be human. Yeah, I love that. And we are all human, we're all so different, but I think storytelling is really important too. So thank you for bringing that up. I think um we've seen it in the work that we do. When we share our stories, Kim and mine and Kim's stories are so completely different, but um, when we share those stories, you're right. It it just sets the tone for everyone else in the room. So you create a safe space. Yeah, like, oh my gosh, I thought I was the only one, right?
SPEAKER_00:Yes, and and that really is the thing that if you know, if you're listening to this and you're going through it, I would say like pick one crack in the door that you can find and go through it. You know, maybe it's scheduling a conversation with your manager or a lunch with a friend or um talking to your doctor, simply you know, giving yourself credit for for how much you're already caring. Um, the truth is you don't have to white knuckle your way through this season. You deserve care, you deserve support, you deserve to feel like yourself again, and you deserve to sort of walk through this um safely and confidently in your workspace as well. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:I'm so surprised how many people I still talk to are like, I just I feel terrible. And I'm like, well, what do you do? What are you doing? And they're like, well, nothing yet.
SPEAKER_00:And I'm like, yeah, I know it's incredible. The number of women, I believe it's still it's like between four and five percent is the number of women who are taking advantage of MHT. And I know for black women, brown women, Native women, that number is closer to two percent. Um, so there is still an amazing amount of misinformation, yes, but I think also, you know, us Gen Xers are sort of the last generation, I think, of women who will walk in blindly, more or less, to this season of life. And so there's still there's this sort of like transition phase, right? We're we're we are we know we're impacted by the lack of stories, the lack of information, or the poor stories of the past. And we're getting the truth and we're getting the amplification of what's real now. So our daughters and so on and so on will have an easier time. But this time is is very tender, I think, and precious and and impressionable. And so, all the more reason for you know, the work that you do, the work that we do at Alloy, the the midlife women who are just coming out and sharing their stories and like cracking wider those cracks in the spaces and saying, you know, me too, me too. This is happening, this is real, you know, I'm not crazy, you're not crazy. All of that just helps to buoy all of us.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, totally. And we get up every morning because we don't want our daughters to have to go through this, right?
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, yeah, it's true. That my daughter has all the books. Yes, 25 books looking at the bookshelf right now, like she knows. Um I have a son who's okay.
SPEAKER_00:So I'll just say, like, the daughters is is wonderful, but the sons too, you know, they they should be a part of the conversation, they will be more and more. And I I feel very happy that I have uh a son who just got married and he'll you know be a be a wonderful partner to his wife now, in addition, you know, in this stage of her life when they get there.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. My daughter's boyfriend knows more about menopause than I think any other 20-year-old has a right to.
SPEAKER_02:That's amazing. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:It's important, it's really though. I just um I really want to stop and just emphasize what what both of you just said, though, because it's so important to have males a part of this conversation and to educate so that they understand whether whether you're managing people, whether you're a colleague at work, whether you're a spouse, a partner, a brother, you know, it it's just important for them to understand what we're going through. Um, and we won't necessarily talk about vaginal health today, but that's huge. And for males to understand if you're in a relationship with someone that's going through menopause, it's critical that they understand what's going on because it can cause relationship difficulties. So education, education, education, right?
SPEAKER_00:I'm so glad you brought that up. And and just to close the loop on that point, you know, to this conversation, that younger men today will be well versed in this conversation as they enter workspaces and what a difference that will make for the women who are going through this season of life, um, that they will have support not only from their female colleagues, but from their male colleagues who will say, Yeah, my mom, you know, yeah, my sister, yeah, my wife. And, you know, can you imagine the the culture of any office space that had that really threaded into it? It changes everything. Absolutely.
SPEAKER_03:It changes everything. Yeah. Well, we're gonna switch gears now. Um, as we noted at the beginning, we're gonna flip the script and we're gonna hand the microphone over to you to ask us questions um about the workplace. So I'm gonna let you take it from here and let's talk workplace.
SPEAKER_00:This is exciting. Thank you for allowing me the space to do.
SPEAKER_01:It's fun.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, this is fun. So, Medovia, ladies, um, you have helped companies move from awareness to accreditation. What's the biggest hurdle that orgas organizations face when starting this journey? And I don't know if you'd both like to answer or if I can call on April 1st and then I'll take it.
SPEAKER_03:Okay, happy to. Yeah. Um, I I love this question actually. The the biggest hurdle that we see with organizations is the implementation. It's moving from intention to implementation. Most organizations, I think, truly want to support employees through menopause, but they're not always sure where to start. That's the most difficult piece. Um, some organizations might start with a policy, um, they might update their guidance document, they might host a one-off awareness session, but that often means that employees don't know that the policy exists or it isn't a living and breathing document, or it looks good on paper, but the culture hasn't changed that we've been talking about here. And it might not feel safe. You know, we use safe a lot in conversations. Um, without that culture change, it might not feel safe to talk about menopause or to speak to your manager about the support that you need. And if organizations begin with a one-off training session without a well-laid out plan for next steps, it can often leave employees with more questions than answers. Or managers, right? They they don't, we've had this training, and now I'm receiving questions from my employees, and I don't know how to answer them. I don't know how to continue the conversation with employees. Or we have employees who are going through menopause who feel really frustrated or fearful that they're going to be looked at as unproductive, incapable. And you mentioned that earlier in our conversation, Rachel. That's the last thing we want to do. So if I come in and I tell, you know, um a whole organization that women or people born with ovaries can experience 34 menopause symptoms up to, right? Um, brain fog, loss of concentration, or fatigue. What message does that send to my manager if I haven't trained all levels of the organization to ensure that they understand that this isn't a death sentence? Right. We're human beings and we're just moving through this normal stage of life. And I say normal because sometimes we're moving through it not naturally, but surgically or medically induced. But it's just a normal stage of life that we need additional support, perhaps. We need access to care that we've talked about. And then I can return to the workplace or stay in the workplace, and I'm able to perform at my peak. And the same holds true in the home as well. So, what we've seen is if you have a well-laid out plan, once leaders are able to take that first step and opening up the conversation, listening to employees and using that structured framework to guide the process, everything changes. Um, you know, we see confidence build in employees and managers, HR professionals. We see awareness grow and increase, and those conversations shift from we should do something to we're proud to be menopause friendly, right?
SPEAKER_00:I love that. That's really where we want them. Yeah. Yeah. Of course, of course. I love that you highlight all levels of an organization. Uh, you're reminding me of a conversation I had with my college roommate, who's an attorney now, and we were talking about menopause in the workplace. And she was saying that she had someone working under her who was really struggling, and it was probably perimenopause. But the best she could offer her was time off for mental health support. And she was sort of like, I don't know how to make this better here. And you know, I don't know what to do, and I don't even know if I should talk to her about it. So I'm thinking about that, you know, just sort of the expanding the conversation this way and this way, right? Absolutely, right?
SPEAKER_03:It's just and usually it does start with um senior leadership and HR and managers and supervisors, so that they're at the ready, right? We want them at the ready and comfortable and they know what to say and they know where to sign post resources. They understand internally what resources are available to support employees. What's what is that roadmap, right? What is my guidance? Um, where do I go? Where can I, where can I go, right? Where are my guardrails, I guess, is the best way to put that. It makes them feel so much more confident. So that when you train your employees, you're ready.
unknown:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:And there's research that shows that employers that most employers who don't have anything for menopause, it's because nobody asked for menopause support in the work. Right. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:So a real oversight at this point.
SPEAKER_01:If you're just sitting around assuming that your employer doesn't care about whether you're going through menopause or not, don't assume that unless you've asked for it and you, you know, you didn't get the resources that that you needed. So, and on our website, we have a whole page for people of how to bring it up at work, right? How to talk about it with your HR team or with your leaders around how to provide. More support. So I think that's an important thing to keep in mind here that organizations want to retain you and they want to have a good culture.
SPEAKER_00:But if nobody's glad you brought that up, Kim, that's such a good point. I want to ask you both at the end where we can all find you and learn. But um, Kim, I do want to ask for organizations without big budgets, what are the simplest, most meaningful steps to begin supporting menopause at work?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, and we've talked about some of these already. Like just start the conversation, right? Just mention menopause and your newsletters and your internal communications, like normalize the topic. Help HR really be able to have the conversation so that you can have inclusive language that includes everyone in this space. Um there we have a checklist on our website that says what does it mean to be menopause friendly? And we're very specific on what that looks like. What have you done in your culture to help um to help advance this conversation? You mentioned training managers. It you know, that's not expensive. And that would retain the retention fee that you would gain from not losing someone is huge. So having managers have that information, you know, look at the current existing resources that you already have. I and I I am surprised every time when I am giving a training and employees are like, I didn't know we had that benefit, right? Right? We didn't I didn't know that we had this as a so look at your current. Do you have a flexible work environment? Do you have mental health policies? Do you have an EAP program? Do you have, you know, PTO that people can use? Like look at what you already do have and really communicate that this is this is something that can help support you. Then employee resource groups. Lots of employers have employee resource groups or internal peer circles that really help with those conversations. And you know, they're not always there. Some of them are women at whatever the employer is, some of them are have funny acronyms that what did we hear yesterday? College. The College Club. Yeah, I never looked at that one before. And like, I love that one. Yeah. Um, those are no cost. In fact, I know Accenture had a women's menopause group that was very active and vibrant around the world, and it had no budget. So I think there are ways to to share that information um in affiliate groups and invite the men to come too so that they can easy. Acknowledge things like World Menopause Day and Perimenopause Month, like invite a speaker or post an article or share stories of people that are navigating it to sort of normalize the conversation. We always say that find out what your employees want, right? Gather that feedback, help you understand what the employees need to sort of be comfortable in that environment and then make those changes and add more things over time as it allows. But the cost savings, and we have a calculator on our website that people can look at what the cost savings is or what the cost is of doing nothing, right? How many people do you have in your organization? How many women do you have of this age group? This is what it would cost you if you do nothing. And it's steep. So it doesn't need to be costly, but the return on investment is high, whatever it is that you would want to spend. So I think employers can start small, it doesn't have to cost a lot of money, and people will feel more loyal to their company because you care about their whole health.
SPEAKER_00:That's such a good point that women who are going through this transition will feel more loyal and more aligned with their employer when they feel that their employer is taking care of them. And the lift of that is pretty minor, whether it's, you know, once a quarter lunch or, you know, once a quarter speaker, whatever it is, you know, when when you're talking about either the sort of your bottom line or your um your employee health, it it really becomes pretty stark that one does not cost a lot at all. And the benefit is so significant. I love that. Those are terrible suggestions. Um, April, I'm gonna ask you this next question. Um, how do you help leaders connect menopause to measurable outcomes like engagement and retention? We touched on this a bit, but if you want to blow it out some more, that would be great.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, yeah, I'm happy to. And we get this question a lot. Um, you know, typically this is where organizations start. They want the data. Give me the numbers, give me the data. I need to prove that this is something that my organization can afford. We want to see the return on the investment. Kim, you just said return on investment. Um, you know, we we like to believe that we help leaders within organizations connect, connect the culture to data. So we translate the culture into data. In other words, we start with listening to employees. Kim, you said this. Um, listen to employees, survey your employees. We recommend that they start there. Start early on and gathering that honest feedback and then act on what you hear. Monitoring that feedback regularly is really essential because your employees will tell you whether your programming is working or not. And if we don't start by surveying our employees early on, we're just making assumptions. I'm, you know, I like to think about it as like throwing that spaghetti on the wall to see if it sticks, right? That's essentially what we're doing. So um ask, ask your employees, survey your employees. Right now, most of the information that organizations have is anecdotal because they're not measuring it internally, right? So we are asking, we have data, but we don't have data because organizations haven't necessarily implemented that or included that in part of their KPIs, for example, and things that they're measuring. Um, so part of the reason um is that you can't go from zero to a hundred overnight. You first have to put programming into place that begins to change the culture to create the safe place. That's the safe word again, where employees feel comfortable being open about menopause and talking about their experiences that we've mentioned. And only then I feel that you can go deeper where you can actually put on your um surveys, are you missing work because of menopause symptoms? You know, why are you taking time off work? Is it because you're experiencing menopause symptoms or hot flashes? You can't ask that in the forefront without creating that culture. And then once that trust and that framework is put into place, the data becomes incredibly powerful. We help organizations track absenteeism, retention, and that employee satisfaction over time. And it's real, um, those are key metrics. It tells a real clear story when you can look at those measurables within your organization.
SPEAKER_00:I bet you've had several of, oh wow, I didn't realize that kind of post-survey conversations.
SPEAKER_03:Absolutely. I mean, just even surveying, we can um kind of dip our toe in the water when we're um hosting awareness training sessions for organizations and we try to survey as much as we can. Even that small amount of data that we extract from those training sessions is pretty powerful. And organizations, Kim, I'm sure you would agree, they're just shocked at the information that comes out. Um it's that's my favorite actually, to do sessions. And then you you survey and your chat blows up and your the light bulb goes on for your HR professionals and your executive leaders because they had no idea. But again, we've created that safe space for people to ask questions where they feel this is normal, other people are experiencing it. I'm okay, it's okay to share. Um, and then of course, those surveys are anonymous and and there's no fear that they're gonna lose their jobs or they're gonna be out. And so you have this data and you provide it to employers, and then you can begin to build that programming, normalizing the conversation, and then you go deeper and you build that into your existing, um, you know, like I said, your KPIs and your measurements, whatever that looks like for your organization. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:I feel like excited hearing about it because I I have no doubt that the work you do in sort of like starting up here and going deeper, deeper, deeper, um, then becomes sort of this very engaged, um, enlightened community, corporate community environment where people are like, we can do this. This is not a big deal. And suddenly there's a whole new conversation happening in a place that wouldn't have whispered about it. That must be done.
SPEAKER_03:It's really exciting. Yeah, exciting, especially to see the men come along too. Yeah, it's always so incredibly empowering to see that. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00:And there's no doubt they're taking that home, which is also Oh, 100% right.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, we I always share. Um, we hosted a couple of sessions at the Pacific Northwest Dental Conference earlier this spring, and the the practice owner sessions that we ran afterwards, there were, I don't know, Kim, maybe 10, 10 people lined up to talk to us. Every single one of them was male. Yeah. Oh, that's amazing. How can I help my wife? How can I help my spouse? You know, even beyond the their their practices. Yeah, they were really concerned about their wives and they had no idea. And so it really is rewarding for everyone.
SPEAKER_00:Absolutely. Oh, I'd love to hear it. Um, Kim, I'm gonna pose this next question to you. All right. Um, we're seeing more employers add menopause benefits or clinical solutions, but as we've spoken about, that doesn't alone create a supportive environment. Um, how do you explain why clinical benefits aren't enough and why culture change is imperative to real impact?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, that's a great question. Menopause is not just a medical issue, it's a workplace culture issue. If when women get support during this time from a medical perspective, it's great, but if they're treated differently when those symptoms appear or not supported as they're trying to work through this, shame, silence, um, or a misunderstanding can drive absenteeism, it can drive performance dips, or even you know, the data of one in 10 women thinking about leave leave the workforce. So no benefit can solve that without culture change. I think that access doesn't equal comfort. Even when benefits exist, women won't use them for fear of being judged or overlooked for a promotion. So making the culture feel safe so that you can do those things is that happening? You know, I always think that clinical care supports the body, but the culture supports the person, the person that comes to work every day. And education, empathy, flexible practices, feel like you belong or are included with where you are in your life, makes such a big difference. You know, data shows that when awareness um improves retention, so it shows measurable reductions in absenteeism and turnover when the medical understanding is a pair is paired, sorry, with the organizational action like training, like an open dialogue, like we've talked about, like manager support. So I think for me, in short, that clinical benefits treat the symptoms, which is fantastic and you need them. And like we've talked about, we are all big fans of that work, but culture changes and transforms the experience that you're having in the workplace. So for us, it's a difference between sort of checking the box and changing lives so that people feel supported and um want we want them to stay in the workplace. Ageism is still out there, right? Yeah, for sure. As long as we can support people in that space and make sure that we they've got both benefits and the support in the organization, it pairs fantastic together. Um, and we love when those light bulb go off, like, oh, I do have the medical support. I didn't even know, right? Those are important things. So those are probably the the sort of top ways I would think about it.
SPEAKER_00:I so appreciate that. You mentioned the word holistic earlier, Kim, also, and this is embracing that. I think, you know, the the way we sort of exist right now is very siloed out, you know, my mental health, my vaginal health, my uh whatever, my cardiovascular health. And the truth is that the conversations I think that are most impactful are the ones that really address our whole health in mind and body and spirit, if that's something that resonates. And um addressing that in the workplace again, I think helps employers and employees recognize that, as we said earlier, you are humans, you know, performing this duty from whatever hours you work to the hours you go home. And and you are a whole person there as well. And you're not sort of leaving, as I said earlier, you're not checking your symptoms at the door. They come in with you and they affect your mind and your body. So I so appreciate that, um, Kim. Um, April, I'll ask you this and then Kim, if you'd like to piggyback, that would be great. Um if if someone in the audience, April, wanted to start to take one immediate step tomorrow, where should they start? And I I guess I would say whether you're speaking to an employee or an employer.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, yeah. Um, I I would answer it a little bit different, um, depending on whether it's an individual or an organization. For organizations, it's simple. Um, I'd recommend downloading our free checklist from the website or taking the self-assessment, whatever you prefer, whether you want paper, you want to do it online, but to really take that temperature read for your organization and give yourself a roadmap. By by walking through that checklist, um, you're going to be able to identify what I am doing well and where are the gaps. We um have heard over and over and over again from organizations that are either committed to or credited with our membership say, your checklist was gold. It was our starting point. It really uncovered those areas that we need to work on and improve on. So I would say the checklist, and it's completely free. So go do it, do it online, download the checklist. And if you need help, reach out to us. We can certainly talk you through that. Happy to do that at no charge. For individuals, I would say um, depending on where you are in your journey and what it is that you need, um, look at our resource tab on our website. There are free resource resources out there that will help you, whether it's understanding menopause, um, whether it is finding a healthcare practitioner, how do I do that? Where do I find someone that's qualified that will actually help me, that will listen to me? Um, you know, whether Kim mentioned this earlier, if you're an employee and you want to take it to your workplace, there's an entire guide there that will take you through, you know, from step one to 10. What do I say? Where do I start? Um, and just make sure that, and you mentioned this too, Rachel, that whatever information you're reading or you're extracting from online, that it is evidence-based, science-based, because there's a lot of noise in this space right now. So find really solid resources that you can trust. Um, there are a ton out there. You know, we haven't even talked about other free resources. We could certainly put it in show notes or what for you, but there's a lot of um high-quality resources available.
SPEAKER_01:Terrific.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:And I would add, because you said I could. Yeah, for you. I would add, what do you already have in play? What and and make sure that people know about it from an organizational perspective. And from an individual perspective, like, don't suffer. Okay, get some help. I'm a client of Alloy. Go to go get out. That will take you just a couple of minutes to get the help that you need. And amazing doctors from a medical perspective, but also understand what's going on and that you don't have to suffer. That is the number one thing. Like, there are ways to feel different.
SPEAKER_00:Absolutely. Thank you for both of that. I want to ask you before we close, and I feel like kind of a jerk because I I was I wasn't on my game when we started with you're asking me questions, but I really should have asked you to tell us a little bit about Medovia. I think I think anyone listening, and certainly people who know you um will know or can figure it out. But would you, April, and then Kim, tell us a little bit about your organization and then tell us where people can find you.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, yeah, yeah. Happy to. Kim, we we do this well. Kim likes to fill in where I leave off. Okay, okay, great. Um, I mean, in in simple terms, Medovia comes alongside organizations and helps them to integrate menopause into the fabric of their organization, which leads to that cultural change. Um, we do that through our membership and accreditation program, which is the only one in the US. Um, we partner with our friends over across the pond in the UK and Australia. So it's a global membership and accreditation program with a third-party panel that reviews those applications. Um, and then we also have wraparound services. So we're able to come in and deliver training. We have e-learning, we have masterclasses that we can provide resources. Uh, we have menominut, mena videos that are educational, that many organizations upload onto their microsites or their menopause hubs, for example. Um, and we've even created microsites for organizations that really don't have anything existing in place. So we like to say that we meet organizations where they are because every single organization is different. And and you you talked about this in the very beginning, Rachel, and I really appreciate it. I think we often um our go-to is the corporate office, right? We we we think about people that are sitting in offices or cubicles, but we work with organizations of all industries, all sizes, all trades, and each one is truly unique and individual and what their needs are and where their starting point is. So we meet we meet them where they're at.
SPEAKER_01:Kim? Nope, good job. I would say you could find us at Medovia, M-I-D-O-V-IA.com. Uh, we do a lot on LinkedIn, uh Madovia, and we do an Instagram on uh MyModobia at MyModovia. So we would love to I would love to, yeah.
SPEAKER_00:I I'm sorry to jump in. I I I would love to host a conversation with the two of you. I think that um the conversation about around menopause in the workplace kind of ebbs and flows a lot, or at least in in my line of vision, um in the menopause sphere. Um, and I think that's not right, and and we should keep talking for absolutely love that. I would love to ask you.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, we often see where there's articles about the clinical benefits, and you should also do these other things, but nobody says how to do these other things, and that's what we do. We do those little things, right? It's not sexy, no, yeah, we don't do the sexy work, but it's great, yeah.
SPEAKER_03:But nobody has to do it, yeah. Important, important sexy, yeah. Rachel, where can people find you? I don't know that we mentioned your website or where people oh that's okay.
SPEAKER_00:I I am really mostly on Instagram. I jump in and out of LinkedIn. I'm I'm making it a point to get better there because I I know that it's it's at least a platform I can manage on like TikTok. I I can't wrap my head around there. Um, but my my personal handle is rachel.hughes.midlife. And um certainly if you're on the alloy platform, um you can look out for support group emails that I run often. I'll invite one of our prescribing physicians to join me for one of those support groups so it becomes really like a clinical hour for the people who are able to come. Um, certainly you can find my conversations with experts and physicians, um, thought leaders on our YouTube channel. It's uh Alloy Women's Health on YouTube. And if you are following Alloy's Instagram, you'll see me as you scroll in their clips and things from conversations. But it's it's my most um favorite thing to do is to to speak to women who are, you know, going through it, what whatever sort of season of life they're in. We're we're all uh I have a real heart to support others how I can, and I'm super curious and always want to learn from people who know so much more than I do about anything. So it would be my pleasure to speak with you over on the alley.
SPEAKER_01:We would love it. We would love it. So we're posting this both as a webinar and as a Medovia podcast. And so we ask all of our guests at the end of our podcast, what's the best piece of advice you've ever received?
SPEAKER_00:Oh, that I've ever received. Um you know, I I I received great advice. I haven't always taken it.
SPEAKER_02:And it's I didn't say take it. I just received it. You have to take it.
SPEAKER_00:I have to take it. But it's interesting because now in midlife, I'm feeling much more comfortable taking that advice. And that advice is to just say yes more and just say no more. And you know, if you have a gut that sort of is good at intuiting what the yeses are and what the no's are, you can really seize life, I think, in a way that um we we hope that we would. Um, so it took me a long time to get to the place where I felt like, you know what, I'm just gonna go do that. Or you know, that is really not my thing, and I'm okay about that. I don't have to apologize about it. And that's exceptionally rewarding and um particularly special right now, this season of life for me. It's empowering.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, I love that. Um, and so so true. You get to the stage and you feel comfortable saying, I feel more comfortable saying no than yes. So I'll work, but yeah, no, and yeah, isn't it like, oh god, that felt good.
SPEAKER_00:I could do I might do that all day.
SPEAKER_03:I might do that. Exactly. And I feel happy and I can be happy, right? Yeah, I love that. Yeah, so thank you for that. Well, Rachel, it's been a real pleasure having you with us today. Thanks so much for spending the time and sharing your knowledge. And let's continue the conversation because I think we could probably talk for hours.
SPEAKER_00:I think so. I I really loved it. I just love speaking with both of you. Thank you so much for having me. Thank you so much. Of course.
SPEAKER_03:Um, everyone that's listening and watching, go find joy in the journey until we meet again. Thanks everybody. 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. Modovia is out to change the narrative. Learn more at Medovia.com. That's M I D O V I A.com.
