World Menopause Day 2024: Championing Menopause Awareness at Searcys

On October 18th, the world observes World Menopause Awareness Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness about the physical and emotional changes that come with menopause. It’s an opportunity to break the silence surrounding this natural life phase, support those going through it, and educate everyone on how menopause impacts people in and out of the workplace. At Searcys, we are proud to lead the conversation, offering a supportive environment and actively encouraging open discussions about menopause within our teams.

One of our designated Searcys Menopause champions in this mission is Laura Maddams, who has been instrumental in helping to drive awareness and provide support across the Searcys family. Laura shares her own experience and insights on the importance of workplace support for those experiencing menopause.

An Interview with Laura Maddams, Menopause Champion at Searcys

What inspired you to become a menopause champion at Searcys?

It is so important to raise awareness about this subject and if I can share lived experiences, hopefully it will give other people courage to talk about it and be confident to share how they are feeling and how it is impacting them.

How do you think organisations can best support employees going through menopause?

Listen and be open and understanding, everyone’s symptoms are different so its not a “one size fits all approach”. I feel that Searcys / WSH Group are really leading the way with all things they have in place for their teams, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have a very supportive team, line manager and MD that I can be honest with about how I feel.

What are some common misconceptions about menopause that you think still exist in workplaces?

Menopause isn’t just for over 50/60’s it can happen a lot earlier in life, so when I have shared with people, I am experiencing Menopausal symptoms, most people say “you are far too young” which is a challenge.

Can you share your personal experience with menopause, and how it has impacted you?

I was very underprepared for this moment in my life, I, like most people expected this to impact me in later life –  so whilst over the last 9 months the change has started to happen I have questioned “What is wrong with me”, I have had countless sleepless nights worrying and felt completely unlike my “old self”, not being able to complete simple tasks that previously I would find easy and also not knowing if I can share exactly how I feel in case my team / seniors worry I can no longer perform my role.

What challenges have you faced during your own menopause journey, and how did you overcome them, especially in the workplace?

The symptom I experience most frequently is brain fog, this happens when I am in pressurised environments. Despite me being a specialist in my field, this has massively knocked my confidence and made some working situations incredibly challenging.

Was there a specific moment when you realised you wanted to advocate for menopause support, either in or outside of work?

One day I was on the train home and met an old friend, we sat on the train alongside another 2 female passengers. My friend mentioned that she had started to experience Menopausal symptoms and was really struggling with everyday life, it was so refreshing to hear that I wasn’t in this on my own, so we proceeded to share stories of how things have changed and how hard it is to navigate round. To my surprise, the other 2 female passengers then jumped in with accounts of their Menopause journeys (all of us different ages and from different backgrounds) it was the most joyful moment, talking to people I didn’t know about a shared subject and feeling that support and camaraderie. For the first time in a long time I felt great as wasn’t alone and didn’t have to make excuses for feeling different.

What advice would you give to someone who may be struggling with menopause at work but is unsure how to seek support?

Please just be honest, whether its to your team or your line manager, it is nothing to be ashamed of, so many more people are going through this you just don’t realise, so just talk about it and be open! The more we talk about this, the less stigma will be attached to it!

As our journey to improve menopause awareness and support continues, please follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram for more updates.