Countless Australian women are suffering in silence and taking themselves out of storied careers early due to their experiences with menopause, reports HOLLY HALES.

Memory loss, brain fog, heavy bleeding, sleepless nights and a barrage of hot flushes – this is the reality for countless Australian women trying to function during menopause.

The natural decline in reproductive hormones and its sometimes life-changing impacts have been thrust into the spotlight during recent Senate committee hearings on the health issue.

Potential supports proposed include specialised work leave, increased research, flexible job arrangements and a general wider understanding of symptoms.

For those who work, severe menopause has altered and even ended careers.

More than half of women in the finance sector say they are less likely to apply for a promotion due to menopause, according to a survey by the Finance Sector Union (FSU).

More than 35 per cent of respondents in the same report said their experience of menopause meant they are more likely to retire early.

“Menopause often hits workers at a point in their careers when they are in the pipeline for senior roles and instead of progressing, they hold themselves back due to their experiences of menopausal symptoms,” the FSU said in its submission to the Senate committee.

The union’s national policy officer Angela Budai says that for some financially comfortable women it isn’t worth staying in full-time roles while experiencing menopause symptoms.

“We have a whole bunch of workers not being utilised in our economy, and most people just can’t stop and look at the bigger picture about this,” she tells AAP.

“The thing is, if you’re an executive in finance and you’re already earning good money by the time you’re in your early 50s, it’s the idea of having to battle through the stigma and the jokes.

“Why would you continue to battle that lot if you’re on that executive trajectory when you could just retire?”

On average, Australian women reach menopause at the age of 50 and the transition can last anywhere from two to 10 years.

Menopause Friendly Australia CEO Grace Molloy says while supports should be in place to assist women struggling with menopause, some won’t have the same level of suffering.

“The other thing to remember is that three in four women won’t experience severe menopause and (instead) have a really good sense of being,” Ms Molloy says.

“For many women, they can feel a renewed sense of confidence on the other side of this transition and really know who they are.”

Physical menopause symptoms can include tiredness, night sweats, aches and pains, bloating, headaches, menstrual changes, the need to urinate more, a racing heart and feeling faint or dizzy.

Non-physical side effects may be difficulty sleeping, difficulty concentrating, mood swings, increased irritability, a loss of confidence, depression and increased PMS.

Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics has shown early retirements equate to a loss of salary and super of more than $577,512 for women.

Debate on mandating menstrual leave under the Fair Work Act 2009 began in 2022 after several Australian unions pushed for the policy’s introduction.

Proposed legislation would give employees who have painful periods or menopause symptoms 12 days a year of paid leave, similar to family and domestic violence leave policy.

A Senate inquiry has been investigating issues relating to menopause and perimenopause, including the suggestion of specific leave.

The inquiry heard from Menopause Friendly Australia that symptoms were driving women to early retirement and Christina Hobbs, the general manager of financial services firm Future Group, submitted she did not think a leave entitlement would keep women from corporate success.

A survey of about 700 people conducted by Circle In found 83 per cent of respondents who had experienced menopause said it negatively affected them at work but only 70 per cent felt comfortable speaking to their managers about it.

A report by the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia found women who were unable to work during menopause would retire about five years early, forgoing thousands in lost retirement savings.

Monash University Women’s Health Research Program head Susan Davis told the inquiry that providing women with better healthcare and support could prevent their exodus from the workforce.

However, she warned workplace leave policies risked labelling women as being impaired in their work performance while going through a normal stage of life.

Monash Centre for Health Research Implementation director Helena Teede says there is no evidence that workplace leave is the solution to an issue that can last for up to 20 years.

As women are over-represented in the casualised workforce, policy changes that could fuel that figure would have profound financial and health implications.

During one hearing in June, Liberal Senator Hollie Hughes observed that employers could be reluctant to hire or promote women if menopause leave was legislated, and might not be needed given the availability of other types of leave