With 1 in 10 women leaving the workforce because of menopause-related symptoms, and another 1 in 5 considering retiring early, experts are calling it the “menopause penalty.” Delta Dental CEO Sarah Chavarria warns that stigma and lack of awareness can deepen gender gaps in leadership.
USA Today - Sarah Chavarria walked into a meeting with her board of directors, sat down and said: “We need to talk about menopause.”
Never mind that the board was almost all older men at that 2023 meeting, one of her first in her new role as CEO and president of Delta Dental Insurance Company.
They all fell silent.
She told them that the vast majority of women over 50 didn’t know that their dry mouth and sensitive teeth were due to menopause. Fewer than 2% of them had ever discussed menopause with their dentist.
And at her most recent appointment? Her own dentist was reluctant to talk to her about it.
“The board got through their first five minutes of being surprised and ‘Are we really talking about this?’ and then something amazing happened,” she says. “They had science and information about menopause to connect with their wives and daughters in new ways.”
Chavarria doesn’t shy away from sharing her own menopause stories – whether with her board or her 5,000 employees.
“You can’t ignore it when half of the population is going to go through menopause,” she says.
Even with more women 55 and older in the workforce than ever before, women often are afraid to talk about menopause in the office. They fear disclosing brain fog will make them appear less competent, that talking with younger or male coworkers who may not understand menopause will lead to discrimination.
While employer support is still low, fewer than 5% offer meaningful programs, more companies are adding improved coverage for hormone therapy, paid time off and even regulating the office thermostat. This summer Rhode Island became the first state to mandate that companies offer accommodations menopause symptoms.
With 1 in 10 women leaving the workforce because of menopause, according to the Society for Human Resource Management, and another 1 in 5 considering retiring early, researchers say it’s become the menopause penalty. It can lead to fewer women leaders at a time when they make up fewer than one-third of the spots.
Chavarria, who introduced Delta Dental’s first menopause report three years ago, says policies such as remote work can help. But what’s most important is that women see a health care provider, that practitioners from dentists to primary care doctors know how to help, and that the treatment is covered.
“Sharing my own story can encourage others to talk about menopause at work, to get help or see their doctor,” she says. “But first we need to be OK talking about it.”
Read the full article on USA Today.