Menopause at Work: "You Can't Afford to Ignore It" | Katie Day | Episode Three

What happens when a woman starts her periods at just FIVE years old — and decades later finds herself facing a menopause experience so overwhelming she no longer recognises herself? Episode Three of It Starts With People is now live. Our guest is **Katie Day — consultant, trainer, business coach, author and speaker**, with over three decades of experience challenging organisations to think differently about gender, menopause, leadership and workplace culture. Katie joins host Chris Worts for an extraordinarily honest, deeply personal and sometimes uncomfortable conversation about women's hormonal health, the realities of menopause and why employers can no longer afford to look the other way. Katie's story is remarkable. She began menstruating at just five years old, experiencing precocious puberty and navigating a childhood that was very different from those around her. Decades later, perimenopause brought another extraordinary challenge. Brain fog. Memory loss. Anxiety. Painful physical symptoms. A devastating loss of confidence. A successful businesswoman who suddenly found herself unable to contribute in meetings, questioning her abilities and struggling to recognise the person she'd become. At her lowest point, she describes searching online for the word "suicide", without understanding that the changes she was experiencing could be connected to perimenopause. It was a chance conversation with a friend that finally helped her begin to understand what was happening. Think about that. A knowledgeable, experienced, successful woman suffering in silence because nobody had helped her recognise what she was going through. Today, Katie uses those experiences to educate thousands of people and challenge businesses to do better. And she doesn't sugar-coat the message. "You can't afford not to." When organisations claim they cannot afford menopause support, Katie challenges that thinking. Many reasonable adjustments cost little or nothing. Sometimes the most important change is simply creating an environment where people feel safe enough to talk. Katie and Chris explore leadership, workplace culture, the role of men, the importance of listening, employment tribunals and why having a beautifully written policy means very little if nobody puts it into practice. They also discuss her book, Menopause Is Really Strange, and why reliable, evidence-based education matters in a world overflowing with conflicting information. But one of the most powerful business messages comes towards the end. Why would any employer willingly lose a talented woman with decades of experience, knowledge and leadership still to offer? Menopause shouldn't mean the end of a career. And supporting women through it shouldn't be viewed as an inconvenience or an expense. It should be part of being a responsible employer. Katie's ambition is simple: a future where menopause support is so embedded in workplace culture that nobody needs to fight for it. That is exactly why we created It Starts With People. Because behind every business, every policy and every workplace decision are real people. SERIES ONE: MENOPAUSE AND THE WORKPLACE Through open, honest conversations with senior leaders from business, employment law and HR, we're exploring menopause, women's health, leadership, workplace culture, employment law and genuine allyship. These aren't conversations about ticking boxes. They're about understanding people's experiences, challenging outdated thinking and creating meaningful change. If this conversation matters to you, please watch, share and subscribe to It Starts With People. ▶️ Full episodes: YouTube — @ItStartsWithPeople *Sponsored by HumanrisQ* The governance platform for human risk. Understand it. Measure it. Act on it. Evidence it. humanrisq.com #ItStartsWithPeople #MenopauseAtWork #WomensHealth #Leadership #WorkplaceWellbeing #Menopause #Allyship #HumanRisQ DISCLAIMER The views expressed in It Starts With People are those of the individual hosts and guests and do not necessarily represent HumanrisQ Limited, the Workplace Wellbeing Council, or any organisation with which they are associated. This podcast is for general information and discussion only and does not constitute legal, medical, financial or other professional advice. Independent advice should be sought before acting on any information discussed. Information is believed to be accurate at the time of recording, but laws, guidance and circumstances may change. No liability is accepted for any reliance placed on the content.