Intelligent CXO Issue 20 | Page 52

INTELLIGENT SECTION

FINANCE SALES & MARKETING HR SOLUTIONS EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

Menopause symptoms and lack of support puts women in tech careers on hold

wouldn ’ t tell their employer said they wouldn ’ t want to draw attention to the fact they were struggling and 40 % said they didn ’ t believe they would get any additional support .
In addition , more than a third ( 36 %) said they wouldn ’ t want to make colleagues feel uncomfortable , while 28 % said they feared their colleagues will believe they are less capable , leading 23 % to think they might be overlooked for promotion .
All of these findings point to an urgent need for employers to step up to reduce stigma and put the necessary support in place .

One in five ( 20 %) women in tech or FinTech who have experienced menopausal symptoms have left or wanted to leave their job because of their symptoms , according to new research from Intuit QuickBooks .

The research , which surveyed 3,000 men and women working in FinTech or for tech providers , also found that almost a quarter ( 22 %) of surveyed women experiencing menopausal symptoms have delayed or cancelled plans to apply for a promotion .
Meanwhile , almost two in five ( 38 %) surveyed women who have experienced menopausal symptoms say they generally felt less confident in their abilities , while 41 % of respondents said the main challenges for themselves , or someone they work with who is going through the perimenopause or menopause in the workforce , are the symptoms affecting their ability to perform work tasks .
The symptoms that these women say contributed most to their lack of
confidence are hot flushes ( 39 %), mood changes such as depression , anxiety and stress ( 37 %) and poor sleep quality ( 36 %).
And across both men and women , about three-quarters ( 76 %) thought the experience of menopause could affect plans to progress into senior roles – demonstrating the negative effects of menopause in the workplace are being universally recognised .
Stigma in the workplace remains
It ’ s not just their own concerns holding women in tech back . Worryingly , over two in five women surveyed ( 43 %) said they wouldn ’ t disclose that they ’ re going through menopause to their employer – and despite generally being the most affected group , those surveyed aged 45 – 55 were most likely not to disclose it ( 48 %).
This is because the stigma around menopause in the workplace remains . Nearly half ( 44 %) of those surveyed who
Jolawn Victor , VP and Head of UK at Intuit QuickBooks , said : “ When people think of the menopause , they often think about the visible side effects it causes . The impact it can have on confidence is much less discussed – but is certainly no less damaging , particularly in the workplace .
“ Our research shows that across both men and women , about three-quarters thought the experience of the menopause could affect plans to progress into senior roles . Therefore , employers have a responsibility to offer the support and guidance needed to enable people to go through menopause without it having a detrimental impact on their careers .
“ Putting more of a focus on supporting women through menopause can have many benefits for employers too – they are likely to find that retention rates and their pipeline of talent will improve , as barriers to progression and fulfilment are removed .
" Taking steps in areas like this will also help to close the gender pay gap in tech and FinTech .” x
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