The menopause: How you can support colleagues

How comfortable are you talking about the menopause at work? Given that 70% of those going through menopausal changes are employed and one in ten of those under 45 have symptoms, chances are a colleague or a member of your team may be experiencing it right now.In this episode, part of the Academy series on wellbeing and mental health in the workplace, the BBC’s Chief Medical Officer Dr Clare Fernandes speaks to content producer and BBC menopause champion Justine Bateson.Justine talks about her experiences of perimenopause, how it affected her physical and mental health and about the support she received working at the BBC.In this podcast you’ll learn: • insights into the menopause, including common symptoms and how it can affect your mental health • how to get support for yourself, a colleague or a member of your team • the importance of sensitive line management • the types of support available at the BBC, including Support at Work and the Women at the BBC staff networkThis episode is aimed primarily at BBC staff, especially team leaders, but is beneficial for all.You can find more on the topic of mental health and wellbeing by searching for this series on the BBC Academy podcast feed on BBC Sounds.Help and support BBC Staff can find further help and advice by searching ‘menopause’ on Gateway. All listeners can find support on the NHS website.There’s more content on wellbeing and mental health on BBC Headroom, as well as other podcasts in this series..A transcript is available on the programme page for this podcast.Credits The podcast was presented by Dr Clare Fernandes and produced by Kasel Kundola. Production support was from Helena Lyons. Exec producers for the BBC Academy were Ben Toone, Zoey Glasgow and Kirstie Andrews.