For many women working in aged care, the symptoms of menopause can arrive during some of the most demanding years of their careers, often while they are juggling physically and emotionally challenging shift work.
With aged care being a predominantly female workforce that relies on 24-hour staffing, researchers say there is a growing need to understand how menopause interacts with night shifts, rotating rosters and irregular work schedules.
Now, a new study by Adelaide University aims to uncover whether the combination of menopause and shift work creates additional health and wellbeing challenges for women, particularly in sectors such as aged care, healthcare, emergency services, mining and transport.
The research comes after the 2024 Australian Senate inquiry into menopause and perimenopause identified significant gaps in awareness, workplace support and scientific understanding, and highlighted the impact menopause can have on women’s health, workforce participation and productivity.
Lead researcher Dr Linda Grosser said symptoms such as hot flushes, disrupted sleep and brain fog were common experiences for millions of women, many of whom continue working through the transition while caring for others both at work and at home.
“Hot flushes, poor sleep and brain fog are common symptoms of menopause that millions of women manage every day while continuing to work, care for families and navigate daily life,” Dr Grosser said.
“Yet for women who work night shifts, rotating rosters or other irregular schedules, these challenges may be compounded by the well-known impacts of shift work on sleep and recovery.”
While researchers know menopause and shift work can each affect sleep, recovery and overall health, little research has examined what happens when the two overlap.
The issue is particularly relevant for aged care, where a large proportion of workers are women and many remain in the workforce well into the age range when perimenopause and menopause typically occur.
Dr Grosser said understanding the experiences of these workers was essential for developing practical workplace strategies.
“More women than ever are working longer and remaining in shift-based industries such as healthcare, emergency services, mining and transport, which means many are experiencing menopause at the peak of their careers,” she said.
“Understanding these experiences is critical to developing practical strategies that support women’s health, wellbeing and workforce participation.”
Researchers are seeking women aged 25 to 65 who are experiencing perimenopause, menopause or post-menopause to take part in the study.
The research will use online surveys and focus groups to examine menopause symptoms, sleep, fatigue, health and workplace experiences.
Participants will also be invited to share the strategies they use to manage their wellbeing, the barriers they face and the types of workplace support they believe would make the biggest difference.
Researchers hope the findings will provide evidence to help aged care providers and other employers better support workers experiencing menopause, improving retention, wellbeing and helping experienced employees remain in the workforce for longer.
