Menopause symptoms can wreak havoc on your professional life if you don’t get the support and resources you need. DailyOM spoke with experts on ways to navigate menopause-related challenges so you can thrive in your career.
Menopause is a natural part of life for most women and people who menstruate, but “natural” doesn’t necessarily mean “easy.” From hot flashes to mood changes, the end of your fertility may mark the beginning of new challenges.
While the severity varies, 85 percent of people who go through menopause experience bothersome symptoms, according to the National Institutes of Health. And if those symptoms become severe or debilitating, they can impact virtually every aspect of your life — including your work life.
Alarmingly, nearly 20 percent of women experiencing menopause symptoms in the United States have considered quitting or have left their job because of them, according to the Biote 2022 Women in the Workplace Survey. In the same survey, 87 percent of the more than 1,000 respondents ages 50–65 said they’d never spoken to a manager or an employer about their symptoms. And 25 percent felt they wouldn’t be supported by colleagues if they did speak up.
Workplaces are just starting to address such issues, say experts — including pros who spoke to DailyOM about the impact and ways to navigate it all better.
How Unsupported Menopause Symptoms Affect Work
Bonnie Whitfield, human resources director of Family Destinations Guide, knows the challenges menopause symptoms can bring to the workplace — and the hardship that can stem from lacking related support — all too well.
“I had a premature menopause in my early 30s, which made me eligible for hormone replacement therapy [HRT] to manage my symptoms,” which included hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, and irregular periods, she tells DailyOM. “These symptoms affected my daily life, making it difficult for me to concentrate and stay productive at work. Additionally, I felt that my body was changing in a way that was outside of my control, leading to a sense of anxiety.”
HRT, applied in gel form to her upper thigh and abdomen, helped alleviate her symptoms, allowing her to regain a sense of control over her body and her life. “However,” Whitfield adds, “when I requested a private space to administer my medication during work hours, my male supervisor accused me of taking unnecessary breaks and claimed that my condition was not a real medical issue.”
After a difficult conversation with human resources, she ultimately left the company due to the hostile work environment. “It was a frustrating and demoralizing experience that made me realize the importance of raising awareness about menopause in the workplace,” she says.
Sue May, menopause coach and founder of Midlife Evolved, endured something similar in terms of her health and productivity while working in the fertility industry several years ago. Seemingly “out of nowhere,” she started experiencing brain fog, anxiety, exhaustion, and sleep problems, all of which made work-as-usual difficult.
“Even though I was doing all the things I knew to do as a health coach — eating healthy, exercising, mindset work — I still felt like crap,” she tells DailyOM. “Since I wasn’t having hot flashes … I didn’t realize I was having menopause symptoms.” Once she did, she sought her menopause coaching certification and formulated a plan to feel like herself again. May doesn’t fault her company, since she didn’t seek help from them, but does believe we need more information and education around menopause-related issues so we can better navigate symptoms when they impact our work life.
The menopause symptoms Whitfield and May experienced are among the most common to affect work, according to Nicky Keay, MD, author of Hormones, Health and Human Potential and honorary clinical lecturer in medicine at University College London. The list includes not only hot flashes, brain fog, mood swings, and disrupted sleep, she tells DailyOM, but also a drop in confidence.
While only 7 percent of HR respondents had a menopause policy in place in 2017, 37 percent of U.S. companies implemented such a policy in 2021, and 74 percent reported having plans to do so within the coming two years.
A 2023 study published in the journal Menopause showed that these symptoms, along with forgetfulness, headaches, and urinary incontinence, can crop up well before your last period and worsen over time. Difficulty falling or staying asleep topped the charts as far as prevalence between ages 35 and 55 — a big concern career-wise, considering that sleep loss can have a major impact on your ability to focus or stay motivated at work.
In another study, published by the Mayo Clinic in 2023, 15 percent of the 4,000 middle-age women surveyed reported cutting back on hours or missing work because of menopause symptoms. The more severe the symptoms, the more likely adverse issues became, like a drop in productivity. And all of that makes for an expensive problem. The study estimated the cost of lost work productivity in the U.S. associated with menopause symptoms at $1.8 billion per year.
Interested in learning more? Check out The Menopausal Middle Menu Plan
What Companies Can Do to Help (and Why They Should)
Some 41 million women over 40 are currently in the workforce, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) findings summarized in a Midday Health 2022 report. Women also accounted for nearly 52 percent of all workers employed in management, professional, and related occupations in 2020. The BLS also predicts that there will be twice as many female workers over age 55 than ages 16–24 by 2024.
In other words, a lot of people in the workplace are likely either approaching or have reached menopause. And tending to employees’ health and well-being only helps. Experts agree that support and resources boost productivity and morale — and grateful, productive workers are better workers. Yet many companies fail to consider menopause-related needs.
Thankfully, things do seem to be improving. An analysis of global findings from 2021 published in an inclusion and diversity report by Baker McKenzie showed that while only 7 percent of HR respondents had a menopause policy in place prior to 2017, 37 percent of U.S. companies implemented such a policy in 2021. Making matters more promising, 74 percent reported having plans to do so within the coming two years.
Fueled by her personal experience, Whitfield has extensively researched the topic of menopause and career life, including best practices for employers. She points to several types of menopause discrimination that need addressing, including stigmatization, where people are “made to feel embarrassed or ashamed about their symptoms.” When that happens, you might feel the need to hide your symptoms, she adds, which can negatively impact your work performance and well-being — considering how much energy and thought such concealing may take.
Companies can also help menopausal employees thrive by providing accommodations, such as adequate air conditioning and access to fans, she says. Otherwise, intense hot flashes can affect your productivity.
Menopause education is also key, Whitfield says, otherwise supervisors and colleagues may not understand the impact of menopause in the workplace. “This can lead to dismissive attitudes and a lack of empathy,” she explains, which damage morale and can chip away at your self-esteem.
Resources that raise your own awareness about menopause can be empowering, says Keay. “Together with self-help strategies, in terms of exercise, nutrition, and sleep, [education can] help you navigate this change in hormones,” she says. (There is even some scientific research that a mindfulness practice may help reduce discomfort around hot flashes and night sweats.) Access to evidence-based information about HRT can help, too, the expert says, by helping you make informed treatment choices.
Looking back on her own journey, May believes that having resources in her previous workplace would have made a positive difference. “I honestly think if there was some sort of educational session where I could start to connect the dots with my own symptoms, I may have had an aha! moment that was missing,” she notes — so she might have found her way to helpful measures sooner.
Experts agree that flexible work arrangements, such as adjusted hours or the ability to work from home, are invaluable for anyone navigating the menopause transition. “This allows employees to better manage their symptoms, such as hot flashes and fatigue, while still fulfilling their work responsibilities,” says Whitfield.
She also believes that companies should offer paid leave for employees whose menopause symptoms significantly interfere with their work capabilities. “This will enable them to take the time they need to prioritize their health and well-being without worrying about financial consequences,” she adds. “Paid leaves may also help to reduce stress and anxiety levels, allowing employees to return to work feeling refreshed and more productive.”
Given that paid leave for childbirth is linked with those perks, along with greater job retention, paid leave around menopause may well facilitate the same.
Companies That Support Menopausal People Well
Thankfully, more companies are becoming aware of and proactive about the needs of menopausal employees. May believes the COVID-19 pandemic has helped executives understand workers’ values and concerns. As a result, she says, more employers are recognizing that their staff and colleagues “care less about the free lunches and happy hours, and more about how a company respects and cares for us as a person.”
Whitfield listed Elektra Health, a women’s health platform that provides “evidence-based education, 1:1 support, telemedicine care, and a private community,” as a company that serves menopausal people well. “Additionally, GenM is a company that is uniting and supporting the most responsible and progressive companies to understand and serve menopausal people in a purposeful way,” she says. Both businesses specialize in menopause awareness among individuals and companies.
Businesses that actively reject age discrimination — which often plays into menopause challenges — may be good options for menopausal people to consider working for, she adds, pointing out that AARP’s age-friendly employer list includes a database of employers who maintain policies, practices, and programs that meet the needs of people age 50 and older.
How to Survive Menopause at Work
If you’re experiencing menopause symptoms or suspect you will soon, experts suggest finding out what your workplace offers in terms of support. “Menopause can be a challenging time … and it’s important that the workplace is supportive and accommodating,” says Whitfield. By staying aware of work-related challenges that might crop up for you, you can better prepare yourself for the future, she adds, and “take proactive steps to ensure that [you] are treated fairly and with respect.”
That proactivity might involve staying on top of your health needs with routine gynecologist checkups, for example, and asking your boss or HR department about available accommodations.
If you end up meeting resistance when you speak up at work, anti-discrimination laws might help protect you from getting fired. “Although menopause is not explicitly mentioned in these laws, individuals who are fired after speaking up about their menopause needs or concerns may have a claim for discrimination based on sex or age under Title VII or the Age Discrimination in Employment Act,” says Whitfield. Since circumstances vary, though, she adds, it may be wise to seek out legal support or contact the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for more information.
You could also consider working with a menopause coach who can support you during this transitional time in your life — and help you come up with solutions to workplace concerns, too. The North American Menopause Society, which offers a certification program, features a directory of certified menopause practitioners on their website. You can also find out about a particular coach’s offerings, training, and experience beforehand via their website or social media platforms.
Menopause coaching involves a very personal relationship, says May, so she suggests starting out with an often-free consultation where you can ask particular questions and see if you feel a sense of synergy personality-wise. May has seen clients go from disempowered to empowered through that collaboration. “They not only start to get rid of symptoms, but they feel their old ‘spark’ and just feel like themselves again,” she says. “They see what is truly possible and start to understand that this time of life can actually be a beginning, like a ‘second spring,’ as opposed to the ending we all used to think menopause meant in our lives.”
