The first menopause symptom ANZ employee Virginia Stracey-Clitherow noticed was she couldn't drink as much wine as she used to.
"It impacts my sleep and contributes to overheating," she told 1News.
And then the other symptoms started cropping up — some memory loss, slower metabolism, irritability, anxiety and loss of self-confidence.
"For me, it's quite a personal journey... I didn't think it was real until it happened," Stracey-Clitherow said.
"I don't think you notice what the symptoms are until you perhaps read a book and then you realise 'oh my goodness it's all these together'."
For coworker Fiona Mackenzie, the "myriad" of menopause symptoms "crept up" on her.
"All of a sudden I was like: 'Holy smokes this is getting a bit out of control'."
By the time Mackenzie realised it was something she needed to talk to a GP about, she was exhausted from months of disrupted sleep, and her stress levels had gone up as a result.
"I was working in a different firm, in a much more male-oriented firm, and I think at the time it was a very intense role.
"It just didn't occur to me to connect the dots."
She said having senior female leadership willing to openly discuss menopause was a game-changer.
"Partners are starting to talk about it a lot more, which is great. I've got male colleagues, peers... people on my team that are talking about it a lot more, that's definitely opening the door.
"Very different to my mother's era."
Mackenzie said it can be "incredibly difficult" to openly discuss health or medical issues in the workplace, but it's good to have it as an option.
"As leaders, just creating that umbrella, where we've created this space that within that, people can navigate it in a way that's most comfortable for them, is really important."
The pair's experiences are reflected in a recently released study that found three quarters of Kiwi women experiencing menopause believe the symptoms negatively impacted their work, but only 11% had spoken to their bosses about it.
The research from Global Women and ANZ found most women felt they were working at 20 to 30% below their best, and 25% said they felt their work efficiency was halved.
The symptoms most widely reported were concentration loss and brain fog, but those researched also said they felt less motivated, less patient, less confident in their abilities and more stressed.
However, the research showed a disconnect between women's concerns and employer perceptions: 94% of employers said they had no concerns on a woman's ability to work during menopause.
Ninety per cent of employers said they are comfortable discussing menopause with their employees, but 40% of employers admitted to needing more information on the subject.
For Stracey-Clitherow, there are little things that have made her menopause journey a little easier: having flexibility so she can exercise in the morning, being offered a seminar discussing menopause symptoms, even the company offering non-alcoholic options at work drinks.
She reckons it's crucial workplaces create opportunities for employees to learn more about menopause and discuss it without the stigma. The seminar opened the door to more open conversations, for example.
"It became a topic. We had menopause written in an email for the first time," Stracey-Clitherow said.
"We've picked that up and carried on with it."
SHARE ME