By Humane Organisations-Africa (HORG-AFRICA)
Work and workplace is traditionally designed for strong and healthy people and therefore tends to be unfriendly towards the exigencies of ageing or old age.
Research has found that there is a correlation between ageing and work in terms of the imbalance between operational abilities and work demands. With changes in age, come changes in physical ability and health. These include changes in physical (respiratory, cardiovascular, sensory, musculoskeletal) and psychological functioning, including increased vulnerability to depression and decline in cognitive functioning. Key among such age-determined and age-related changes are menopause and andropause.
Whiles menopause tend to have negative impact on women at work (for the working class), men (some) only tend to suffer the adverse effects of andropause in their advanced ages.
Sadly, whiles research has established that menopause and andropause affect work negatively both at the individual and organisational level, no attention has been paid to them in the Ghanaian workplace, both in the law and workplace policy. Workplace policies do not make provisions for persons suffering from menstruation, menopause and andropause.
Effects of Menstruation, Menopause and Andropause on work outcomes
According to research findings (ERHC, 2025; Hofman & Spiegel, 2026; O’Neill et al., 2023), each of the above conditions can affect work outcomes:
Menstruation
Menstruation can influence work outcomes negatively by way of absenteeism (missing work), presenteeism (less productivity though physically present), reduced concentration. According to research, more than 50% of employees experiencing menstruation report of physical, mental and emotional symptoms such as severe abdominal cramps, lower back pain, headaches, physical exhaustion, lowered energy levels, mood swings, lower patience levels and irritability.
Menopause
Both menopause and perimenopause have been found to influence work negatively. Research indicates that 67% of working women who have experienced menopause have reported adverse effects of the condition in the following:
- 79% of them were less able to concentrate
- 68% said they experienced more stress
- 49% said they felt less patient with clients and colleagues, and
- 46% felt less physically able to carry out work tasks
Reasons accounting for the above included:
- Fatigue- (58%)
- Difficulty sleeping- (49%)
- Muscle/joint pain- (42%)
- Poor concentration- (41%)
- Poor memory – (41%)
- Night sweats and hot flushes had a daily frequency of 35% and 33%, respectively.
Whiles these symptoms had varied effects on varied occupations due to varying job demands, physical symptoms such as fatigue, joint pain, and hot flashes were found to be more challenging in physically demanding frontline roles such as sales, customer service, nursing, teaching, police.
Andropause
Andropause is the least talked about age-determined health condition. Both nationally and internationally, men’s health issues and how they impact on work tend to receive lesser research, policy and legal attention. However, the little research that exists on andropause highlights the fact that, whiles not all men may experience the symptoms of andropause, a good number of men do. And when they do, they experience physical and psychological problems that can include:
- low energy
- Depression or sadness
- Decreased motivation
- Lowered self-confidence
- Difficulty concentrating
- Insomnia or difficulty sleeping
- Increased body fat
- Reduced muscle mass and feelings of physical weakness
All the above life-cycle changes suggest a misfit between demands and resources for workers (especially older worker), which are accompanied by higher strain, for instance in time-paced tasks or tasks with a high workload.
The Status Quo
Unfortunately, organisations lack formal menstruation-menopause-andropause-friendly policies, flexible hours, or at least readily available products in restrooms, compounding stress and discomfort.
Experts have however suggested that life cycle conditions such as menstruation, menopause and andropause should inform policy decision to create an inclusive environment that can tackle it wholistically by making reasonable adjustments to policies such as working hours to the benefit of both the individual and the organisation.
From the workplace policy improvements perspective, organisations that seek to demonstrate their humaneness can develop ‘Care’ and ‘Compassion’ structures that support employees.
This can be done by developing cultures that support:
- Health and wellness including ergonomics, installation of appropriate climatisation equipment etc.
- Provision of sanitary facilities (pads and other accessories)
- Flexible working opportunities for employees to choose
- Educating and training line managers in effective management of people experiencing Menopause and Andropause .
In respect of the above, Humane Organisations-Africa seeks a collaborative and government-backed campaign to raise awareness of the importance of including Menstruation, Menopause and Andropause in workplace policy decision and implementation.
Humane Organisations-Africa (HORG-AFRICA). HORG-AFRICA is an organisation focused on researching, advocating and consulting on Care, Compassion, Civility and Career Support in the workplace. These four elements form the bedrock of any organisation’s culture, employee wellbeing and determine the quality of the workplace culture
We stand at the intersection of what an organisation does to and with its personnel and how HRM is practiced with society as the ultimate beneficiary.
Contact us on: 0208238694/0204333613/ Email: [email protected]
