Last month marked Menopause Awareness Month, a crucial reminder for workplace leaders to focus on a topic. While often viewed as a personal issue, menopause has a profound effect on the workplace, touching your most experienced employees and, ultimately, your bottom line. An estimated 13 million people in the UK are currently going through perimenopause or menopause. With women making up nearly half of the UK workforce, this is a conversation that belongs in the boardroom, not behind closed doors.
With the momentum of Menopause Awareness Month still fresh, now is the time to turn awareness into meaningful, sustained action. For too long, the impact of menopause has been ignored, leading to presenteeism, absenteeism, and a preventable drain of valuable talent. But this presents an opportunity. By focusing on practical support, leaders can make a tangible difference to their people's wellbeing and the health of their business.
The Business Case for Menopause Support
The average age for menopause is 51, a time when many women are in senior leadership roles. These employees represent decades of experience and organisational knowledge. Losing them is a significant loss of human capital.
3 in 4 women report that symptoms have negatively impacted their work , and one in ten have left a job entirely due to their symptoms. Many struggle with brain fog, fatigue, and anxiety, leading to a rise in presenteeism where employees are at work but not fully productive. Beyond the clear business case, there's also a legal one. Under the Equality Act 2010, employers have a duty to make reasonable adjustments for employees whose symptoms amount to a disability. Proactive support is not just good practice, it's a necessity.
A Leader's Briefing: What You Need to Know
To provide effective support, leaders don't need to be medical experts, but a basic understanding is crucial. The term "menopause" is often used as a catch-all, but the distinctions are important.
- Perimenopause: This is the transitional phase, which can last 4-8 years and often begins in a person’s early to mid-40s. It is during this time that the most challenging of the 34 recognised symptoms, such as hot flushes, aching joints, low mood, and sleep disturbances, tend to occur.
- Menopause: This refers to a single day, exactly 12 months after a person’s last period.
- Post-menopause: These are the years after menopause. While some symptoms can persist, this stage brings different health considerations, especially around bone density and cardiovascular health.
An Actionable Toolkit for Meaningful Support
Making a difference starts with practical, concrete steps. This year’s "Lifestyle Medicine" theme provides a powerful framework for action, emphasising the role of lifestyle choices in managing symptoms. It shifts the focus to proactive, tangible areas like nutrition, exercise, sleep, and stress management. This gives employers a clear and positive opportunity to provide support that empowers employees to improve their own wellbeing during menopause. Here are some next steps to consider:
- Create an Open and Educated Culture: The most impactful first step is to normalise the conversation. When employees feel they can speak openly without stigma, problems can be solved.
- Action: Provide manager training focused on how to have supportive conversations, recognise when an employee might be struggling, and understand what adjustments can be made.
- Implement Practical, Reasonable Adjustments: Small changes to the work environment can have a huge impact. These adjustments show genuine care and help employees feel supported, not singled out. They also create a culture where wellbeing is part of everyday operations rather than an afterthought.
- Action: Review your policies. Can you offer more flexible working patterns to help manage fatigue? Ensure easy access to temperature control and cold water. Re-examine uniform policies to prioritise comfort and appropriate materials.
- Champion the Power of Physical Activity: Exercise is one of the most effective tools for managing many menopause symptoms. Regular physical activity can improve sleep, boost cognitive function, and is a recognised intervention for the low mood and anxiety that can accompany perimenopause.
- Action: Go beyond simple awareness and actively facilitate access to fitness. This is where a truly inclusive wellness benefit becomes critical.
How Flexible Fitness Benefits can help
Traditional, one-size-fits-all benefits like a single on-site gym often fail menopausal employees. Their needs are varied and can change day-to-day. One day, gentle movement for stress relief is needed; on another, it’s resistance training to combat the loss of muscle mass and bone density associated with declining oestrogen.
Flexible fitness benefits give employees the freedom to choose what works for them. Offering access to a nationwide network of different gyms, pools, and fitness centres means they can find an activity that suits their energy levels and health goals, whether at home or in the office. This empowers them to use exercise, one of the best tools available to manage their health effectively.
Following Menopause Awareness Month, leaders now have the opportunity to turn awareness into lasting action. By building an open culture and providing flexible, practical benefits, you can support your employees’ wellbeing, retain your most valuable talent, and build a stronger, healthier organisation for everyone.