Facing Stigma and Lack of Awareness, Women Call for Menopause Support in the Workplace

Menopausal women are the fastest-growing demographic in the workforce. One in five workers in the United States is in some phase of menopause now. Yet there’s a stigma around it in the workplace, leading many women to hide their experiences. This can negatively impact their work performance, career progression, and organizations’ talent retention. 

Millennials — who will make up 75 percent of the global workforce by 2025 — are among the women demanding change. One in three millennial women experiencing menopause say their symptoms impacted their work.

About 70 percent of millennial women would consider reducing their work hours, taking a part-time role instead of full-time, changing jobs or retiring early to alleviate menopause symptoms, according to a recent survey by the family-building benefit supplier Carrot Fertility. Over 60 percent are concerned about going through menopause symptoms while working, with many worrying it will damage their career growth. 

Menopause is the stage of life when menstrual periods stop permanently. It's a normal part of aging, usually experienced around the ages of 45 to 55. And it can come with as many as 34 different symptoms, including sleep changes, physical exhaustion, mental exhaustion and hot flashes. Without more menopause support in the workplace, women are willing to take their talent elsewhere.

A costly issue for women and their employers

It doesn’t have to be this way, said Kelly Montes, U.S. executive director for Catalyst, a global nonprofit promoting gender equity and workplace inclusion. Catalyst recently released a survey of almost 2,900 full-time employees who are either currently in menopause or recently finished experiencing it from eight countries — including Canada, the United Kingdom and the U.S. It found major gaps in support for employees going through menopause, highlighting a critical need for companies to create menopause-friendly workplaces, offer support and reduce the stigma.

“When you're looking at how to recruit and retain the best-in-class talent, when you're looking to move women through the pipeline and ensure they're a critical piece of the succession plan, addressing menopause in the workplace is a really important issue,” Montes told TriplePundit. “It’s also a costly issue.”

Menopause costs the U.S. economy an estimated $26.6 billion annually, with $1.8 billion stemming from lost productivity and billions more from health expenses. On the flip side, there’s a huge opportunity, Montes said. Closing the gender gap in labor force participation in senior and middle management positions could increase global economic output by 7 percent, or $7 trillion.

Lack of menopause support can also impact workforce diversity. Compared to white employees, employees from marginalized racial and ethnic groups report higher rates of turnover intentions, quitting, and declined job opportunities because of a lack of menopause support, according to the Catalyst survey.

“Organizations focused on creating equity and parity will find it impossible without considering how to proactively support employees going through this life change,” Montes said.

What women want to see in menopause support

Some 93 percent of women surveyed reported moderate or severe impact of menopause symptoms on their work, with 84 percent of respondents agreeing that more menopause support is needed in the workplace. More than one-third said that their symptoms negatively affected their work. One in 10 said they have declined a job opportunity because of a lack of menopause support. 

While more workplaces are starting to invite conversations about topics once considered “taboo,” like mental health and burnout, menopause remains highly stigmatized. Seventy-two percent of respondents hid their menopausal symptoms at work at least once. It’s likely that part of the reason they do so is the workplace stigma.

The most in-demand menopause benefits are time off and flexible work arrangements, which 60 percent of employees want but only 25 percent of organizations offer, according to the survey. 

Workers are also asking for workforce education, insurance coverage for menopause-related treatments, access to health professionals, and adjustments to the work environment — like cooling rooms and ergonomic considerations. Each of those are offered by less than a quarter of companies. 

This is a personal issue for Montes. “Two years ago, I went through a massive change that I did not understand,” she said. “I started diving into a lot of research and I felt very crazy and alone. It’s been helpful to find the support systems that exist … For women I speak to in C-suites, this topic is very much top of mind. I think the most significant finding the report calls out is the stigma around menopause and the urgent need to demystify it.”

The stigma often occurs at the height of a woman’s career, Montes said. “That's when women are, in many cases, peaking in their career. If we're losing women at that level, that's even more detrimental to an organization from a talent perspective."

Steps for a menopause-inclusive workplace

There are several key actions organizations can take to support, retain, and attract women experiencing menopause in the workplace, according to the Catalyst research. 

Employers can start by conducting a comprehensive audit and gathering employee feedback to learn what practical, meaningful menopause benefits they can implement. They can also tap employee resource groups to combat stigma and listen to employees about what women experiencing menopause across intersecting identities need and their experiences within your company. 

Educating employees and managers about menopause and the stigma’s negative effect and fostering an inclusive and open culture that normalizes these conversations are also key steps. Train managers to engage in active listening, open communication, and empathy and equip them with an awareness and understanding of menopause so employees can openly discuss.

Examining retention data and exit surveys for patterns that suggest employees of menopausal age are leaving or not advancing in your organization can inform retention strategies to keep top talent through the menopause life stage. And advertising menopause-supportive policies and benefits in job postings, particularly for senior leadership positions, can help attract a gender-diverse pool of applicants.

Standard Chartered exemplifies best practice

One example of a company that has adopted many of the approaches to support employees going through this life phase is Standard Chartered, a bank headquartered in the U.K. In 2023, the bank announced to its 85,000 employees that it was expanding coverage for treatment of menopause-related symptoms within its health benefits package to all colleagues and their partners.  

The bank formed a menopause working group to formalize its commitment to create an environment where women are free to discuss their experiences and feel supported. And it held menopause education sessions to build awareness among all colleagues. 

It also developed a guide that equips managers with the tools and resources to have conversations about the topic, introduced an internal podcast on menopause, and has ongoing education and awareness events. 

Thanks to this ambitious approach, Standard Chartered reports greater retention of its top talent, specifically women in senior positions who either didn’t connect their symptoms to menopause or weren’t comfortable with sharing them with colleagues, Montes said. 

Standard Chartered is indicative of what is possible, Montes said. “Overwhelmingly, what women are looking for is more support. And when a workplace provides that, women show up, stay and thrive — and that’s good for business.”