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A challenge most female employees will face in the course of their career, and many when they're hitting their stride, is one that most employees and employers are unprepared for, a doctor warns.

Dr Ceri Cashell, a GP and co-founder of the education and support initiative Healthy Hormones, says many people don't realise perimenopause/menopause is a biological transition that involves a "rapid rewiring" of the brain.

During this time, many women find their executive function affected, often when they're finally reaching senior roles. This, along with physical symptoms, can not only derail their career, but also employers' efforts to achieve gender balance in senior roles.

"You've got to this point where you might be a chief executive, or you're really confident in the boardroom... and suddenly you don't know what you're doing again, you don't know what you're saying," Cashell tells HR Daily...