Managing Menopause at Work: The Need for Better Workplace Supports and Policies

Menopause is having a moment. Celebrities from Jennifer Aniston to Michelle Obama are talking publicly and frequently about this reality of women’s lives as they age, challenging the notion of menopause as a taboo subject. Halle Berry has been testifying on Capitol Hill and making public appearances alongside First Lady Jill Biden (including in Chicago) to lobby Congress for additional funding for menopause research, which is severely underfunded. At Women Employed, we are noticing that for all the talk of menopause as a common health condition, the piece that is often absent in these conversations is the impact on the workplace and the ways in which millions of working women are affected by menopause at work every year.

Menopause typically intersects with a critical career stage for women — a time when many of us are seasoned professionals and step into new or greater leadership positions. It is estimated that over 30 million women in the menopausal age range are employed (approximately 20 percent of the workforce) and that the large majority of those women will experience menopause symptoms, typically for 4–7 years, though for some much longer. And while we typically talk about cisgender women ages 45 or over when discussing menopause, it’s important to note that non-binary, trans people, and some younger women may experience menopause, including medically induced menopause.

This number will only grow as the workforce ages, as it is estimated that by 2028 over 25 percent of the U.S. workforce will be 55 or older. In fact, before the pandemic, the net growth in the U.S. labor force came entirely from growing numbers of older workers . The Longevity Economy outlook found that the 50-plus age cohort contributes $8 trillion to the U.S. economy each year, or 40 percent of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Older workers are valued by employers for their experience and expertise, reliability and stability, and ability to mentor colleagues. Thus, it is critical that we do all we can to keep older workers in the workforce given their important contributions to the workplace and economy.

A Mayo Clinic study surveyed more than 5,000 female primary care patients — most of them employed — about menopause symptoms and work and found the results “mind-boggling” as 13 percent of participants reported they’d either reduced hours, missed days of work or a promotion, retired early, quit, or changed jobs due to symptoms. While the most common menopausal symptoms are hot flashes and sleep disturbances, symptoms may also include fatigue, mood changes, anxiety, headaches, and even mild cognitive impairment or “brain fog.” In addition, it is estimated that about 20 percent of women suffer from severe menopause symptoms that can be debilitating. It is also important to note that menopausal symptoms, duration, and severity may differ by specific racial/ethnic groups. For example, Women of Color tend to begin menopause earlier, have a longer duration, and Black and Latina/x women in particular tend to have more severe symptoms. The Mayo clinic study found higher percentage of Black and Latina/x women reporting adverse work outcomes compared with white women.

In addition to the toll on women’s personal health and well-being, the Mayo Clinic study calculated the effects of menopause on the workplace and economy, reflecting real costs in money, time, and productivity. The U.S. economy is losing $26.6 billion a year due to lost productivity and health expenses, impacting both employers and employees. When appropriate supports are not provided, it can lead to missed work days, employment loss, or even early retirement. Meanwhile, direct medical costs related to menopause cost women workers an additional $24.8 billion annually. “Menopause in the workplace is an economic argument,” says Stephanie Faubion, M.D., M.B.A., medical director of the North American Menopause Society (NAMS) and director of Mayo Clinic Women’s Health and leader of the Mayo Clinic study, “When you look at the overall picture, you realize, ‘Wow, this is a problem not just for women but for their employers and society, and we need to pay attention to it.’”

While there is a growing awareness of the effects of menopause on women’s health, there remains a stigma in talking about menopause at work, a lack of knowledge of its widespread impact, and limited policies to support women managing their symptoms. Women want their companies to do better: one poll found that 64 percent of American women aged 40–65 say they want their employer to offer menopause benefits, like coverage for hormone replacement therapy, access to menopause healthcare providers, menopause awareness sessions, and cooling rooms. More than half of U.S. women who have access to menopause benefits say it positively affects their work, and 13 percent say it improves their ability to get promoted within the company.

However, this same study revealed a disconnect between employers and employees, as many employers said they offer menopause-related benefits while only one-third of employees said they are aware of the benefits offered. And in fact, while most workplaces do not have menopause-specific policies or benefits, women experiencing menopause can often apply existing benefits for menopause for support: for example, paid sick time and/or paid time off policies, flexible schedules, and employee assistance programs, all of which are policies that Women Employed has advocated for. Inclusive policies like these benefit all working women, including those experiencing menopause. However, women in the lowest-paid jobs, often Women of Color who may experience more severe menopause symptoms, are less likely to have these kinds of benefits in their jobs.

That’s why it’s important to not only push for inclusive employer policies, but for laws that apply to everyone. Here in Illinois Women Employed advocated for a couple of recently passed laws which can help employees experiencing menopause navigate its effects on their working lives, including:

• Chicago Paid Leave (new!)/Paid Sick and Safe Leave: Up to five days of paid sick time, which we won in Chicago in 2017, can be used to address any medical issue, including menopause, whether for managing symptoms or doctor’s appointments. The additional up to five days of paid time off included in the newly expanded Chicago ordinance, going into effect on July 1, 2024, can be used for any reason, and workers do NOT have to disclose the reason to their employer. You can learn more about the Chicago ordinance here.
• Illinois Paid Time Off Law (new!): As of January 2024, most workers in Illinois are eligible for up to five days of paid time off annually. Additionally, workers do NOT have to identify a reason for the day(s) off, which is ideal for workers experiencing menopause symptoms who do not feel comfortable disclosing that information to their employer. You can learn more about the Paid Leave for All Workers Act here.

Women Employed continues to advocate tirelessly for policies which support women in the workplace at all stages of their lives, and that includes consideration of menopause. We believe it is time to bring menopause out of the shadows and include it in the suite of life circumstances we need to provide workplace supports around in order for women to be their most successful selves at work.

WE would love to hear from you: How are you managing menopause at work? What support does your workplace offer and/or how could they do better? What do you need to be your best self at work while experiencing menopause? Contact Corinne Kodama, Senior Research Analyst, at ckodama@womenemployed.org.