Menopause At Work: How Leaders Can Provide Support In The Workplace
More than 1 million women experience menopause each year in the United States – and many of them are doing so while at work. According to a national survey, 90% of women aged 35 and over have experienced at least one menopause symptom, ranging from hot flashes to mood swings. A Mayo Clinic study estimates that menopause costs American workplaces more than than $26 billion/year in lost time at work and medical expenses. The lead author, Dr. Stephanie Faubion, pointed out a key “takeaway” from the study “is that there is a critical need to address this issue for women in the workplace.”
Menopause is technically defined as the point when someone has gone 12 consecutive months without getting a period, while perimenopause is typically a multi-year period the leads up to menopause. Perimenopause can start when someone is in their mid-30s – or mid-50s. And many don’t realize that, even after starting to experience hot flashes and irregular periods, it is still possible to get pregnant.
As millions of women navigate the physical and emotional transitions of menopause, a growing chorus of voices is calling for workplaces to catch up. For them, the message is clear: menopause is not just a personal journey—it’s a workplace issue.