You may be wondering why this page exists, considering our entire team is under 45 years old. Because both menopause and andropause can occur in young folks, too, even though it is not that common. Anyhow, if this is your unfortunate case, it can impact your ability to do your job.

Menopause

The menopause is a natural part of life. To put it simply: it happens when someone's oestrogen levels drop and they stop having their periods. It is described as more of a “transition” rather than a “one-off”, as the symptoms and effects on someone's health are typically experienced for several years after it has begun.

For some people, menopause can have little impact on their daily life, but for others, it can result in a whole range of symptoms that can last for several years and have a negative impact on their work and personal life.

Symptoms include disrupted sleep, psychological distress, and heavy and painful periods, but there may be many others as this condition affects people differently. For this reason, it is important to learn about which support is available and how.

Generally, this happens between the ages of 45 to 55, but for some it can be much earlier or later than this.

A few other common symptoms of menopause include:

• Anxiety and mood changes, such as low mood or irritability.

• Changes in skin conditions, including dryness or increase in oiliness, and onset of adult acne.

• Difficulty sleeping, which may make you feel tired and irritable during the day.

• Discomfort during sex.

• A feeling of loss of self and a drop in self-confidence.

• Hair loss or thinning.

• Headaches or migraines.

• Hot flashes that are comprised of short, sudden feelings of heat, usually in the face, neck and chest, which can make your skin red and sweaty.

• Increase in facial hair. Now you know how some old ladies get those impressive moustaches!

• Joint stiffness, aches and pains.

• Night sweats.

• Palpitations (heartbeats that suddenly become more noticeable).

• Problems with memory, concentration and “brain fog.”

• Recurrent urinary tract infections, such as cystitis.

• Reduced sex drive (libido).

• Tinnitus. A constant beeping sound that no one else can ear.

• Vaginal dryness and pain.

Menopause can also increase your risk of developing other problems, such as osteoporosis (weak bones) or cardiac disease. Ughr, it sucks to get old.

Andropause

Andropause is caused by low testosterone levels and typically occurs as men get older, usually between the ages of 40 to 50, as their cojones produce less testosterone.

However, andropause is known to affect young men as well. Unlike menopause, which occurs suddenly, andropause happens steadily as men age, averaging around a 1 to 2% drop in testosterone levels each year.

The symptoms experienced by men going through andropause differ but can include the following:

• Depression.

• Difficulty sleeping.

• Hot flashes.

• Irritability.

• Lack of energy.

• Lack of enthusiasm.

• Loss of strength or muscle mass.

• Mood swings.

• Poor concentration.

• Reduced ability to exercise.

• Stress.

• Weight gain.

None of this makes for good reading, but being aware of what one may be going through when trying to do their job is something we all should keep in mind, which leads us to…

Support available

If you can't take time off, make use of our flexible Working hours and location policy. Sometimes, you might just need a little extra time for yourself during the day.

We provide mental health support with Pulso and Headspace. If you're struggling mentally, whether it's health-related or not, please take advantage of the support available. You can read our Mental health support page to see what other options are available, as well as the Help via Pulso page.

Make use of being able to work from home when it works for you. We don't expect you to continuously come to the office when you're feeling rough. Speak to the People and Operations team if there's something that you'd like to purchase to make your home office more comfortable.

Let's talk about it. We know this is sometimes easier said than done, but talking to your manager or the People and Operations team can help us support you better. While we do our best to check in and recognise signs that someone might be struggling, these conditions are invisible, and it can be tricky to detect when someone is suffering.

Please speak to the People and Operations team about your needs and how we could support you even better.