Pvolve, the leader in evidence-based functional fitness for women, marked today’s 12th annual World Menopause Day by offering solutions employers can use to support their workers as they navigate through this life transition. While menopause is most often associated with physical symptoms such as hot flashes, cognition and mood – the themes of this year’s World Menopause Day – also can be affected, and Pvolve, operated by and for women, has special recommendations to help.

“Nearly all women feel symptoms of menopause which can affect their work performance and force them to take time off,” said Julie Cartwright, president of Pvolve. “Employers who want their female workers to perform at their best should do everything they can to support them as they move through this often long and challenging life transition.”

Cartwright said that statistics show the depth of the workforce menopausal challenge:

Two million American women enter menopause annually, most of them during their 40s and 50s, their prime working years.

-Symptoms of menopause typically last approximately seven years – and sometimes as long as 15 years.

-90 percent of women say menopausal symptoms have affected them at work.

-75 percent of women who seek help for menopause fail to get it.

-Globally, productivity losses associated with menopause cost businesses $150 billion annually.

“Employers who want to take proactive steps to assist their female workers move through menopause should consider a five-step approach,” said Cartwright.

The steps include:

Listen – and learn: The first step for employers to understand the problem – and make clear their concern – is to listen to what their workers are saying. Confidential surveys, complemented by highly interactive focus groups, can identify what employees want and need when it comes to support from management.

Identify champions: Assistance needs to be based at a grass-roots level, with the direct involvement of staff at all levels of the organization – not just Human Resources. Establishing a committee where employees can get involved directly in the development of solutions is a start. Employees also can serve as effective mentors to their colleagues, providing guidance and serving as sounding boards.

Consider solutions that offer rich content for all: Educational and informational content is critical and must be continuously updated and delivered in ways to which each employer’s workforce will be responsive – a remote workforce has different needs than one based in an office. The content should include background on menopause, ways to alleviate symptoms and other practical advice. Nor should the audience be limited to women of menopausal age: Younger women and men of all ages should understand how menopause can affect their colleagues.

Measure progress: Measuring progress is vital, both through hard data – sick days taken, for example – and anecdotal information about how workers and their managers feel that menopause is affecting performance. Special attention must be paid to women who might pass up promotions or career-defining assignments or even resign because of the ongoing effects of menopause.

Update efforts and customize based on results: Menopause is an ongoing issue, with women entering and exiting yearly. Education needs to be ongoing, so that each coterie of women – pre-menopausal, menopausal and post-menopausal – feels its needs are being considered by the organization’s leadership. Changes in societal attitudes, new developments in medical science and other factors also need to be reflected in updates.

Pvolve’s Moving With Menopause program, which is offered to individuals and also to employers as a comprehensive turnkey employee benefits program, is a first-of-its-kind fitness and education program created to support women through the transition of menopause. It addresses both the physical effects of menopause as well as impacts on mind and spirit.

“Movement and exercise are crucial to smoothing the path through menopause,” said Dr. Amy Price Hoover, Pvolve’s Chief Physical Therapist, who helped develop Moving With Menopause. “This is true even for mindset and mood, often affected by menopause, which can be enhanced through breathing techniques, stretching exercises and meditation. These can fight insomnia, sleeplessness, ‘brain fog’ and other issues that affect cognition and mood.”

“As women, we have the unique opportunity to experience our bodies as they adapt to different stages in our life journey. We believe that each of these health moments can be addressed through education, science-backed solutions and a community of supportive care. On World Menopause Day, we emphasize our mission in helping every woman understand their individualized menopause journey and help them thrive in their own lives and in the workplace,” said Jacqueline Gianelli, Founding Nurse Practitioner of Elektra Health, which worked in partnership with Pvolve to create the Moving With Menopause program.

For more information about the Moving With Menopause program, please visit https://www.pvolve.com/pages/menopause-and-exercise

About Pvolve

Pvolve is the leader in evidence-based functional fitness and a nationwide employee wellness benefits provider. Headquartered in New York, the company delivers innovative content and experiences to its members in all 50 states and globally. Its science-backed, holistic fitness method for women harnesses the power of functional movement and proprietary equipment to nourish and restore while it shapes, tones and strengthens. Through its hybrid fitness model, Pvolve can be experienced in-studio, through live and on-demand virtual classes and via a growing franchised studio footprint. For more information, please visit www.pvolve.com and @pvolve on Instagram or Get Fitness That Pays Off for Pvolve’s employee benefits offering.