Around World Menopause Day on 18 October, conversations about menopause in the workplace intensified across LinkedIn and business networks. But here’s what many organisations still don’t grasp: this isn’t just a women’s health issue. It’s a leadership challenge with a massive economic impact.
Menopause at work costs UK businesses £1.5bn annually in lost productivity, according to FP Analytics research. In Germany, Europe’s biggest economy, that figure reaches €9.4bn (£8.1bn). These aren’t abstract numbers – they represent experienced professionals forced out of the workforce because their organisations failed to provide basic support.
If you’re losing talented women in their late 40s and 50s, menopause might be a bigger factor than you realise. And if you’re not talking about it, you’re definitely losing people because of it.
The economics are straightforward. Menopause in the workplace affects approximately half the workforce at some point in their careers. According to CIPD research, around 1 in 4 women in the perimenopause age say symptoms negatively affect their work.
These aren’t junior staff members. They’re experienced professionals at the height of their careers – the people with institutional knowledge, client relationships, and leadership potential.
What happens when organisations don’t provide support:
The business case is clear:
Menopause at work becomes a crisis not because of the biological reality, but because of how organisations respond – or more often, don’t respond.
The problem isn’t that women can’t handle menopause. The problem is that workplaces aren’t designed to accommodate the straightforward, manageable adjustments that would allow women to continue performing at their best.
The current reality:
As Katarina Lukač, Editor at LinkedIn News, put it: “Hangovers, bad backs, football, even funerals – I’ve talked about all these at work, including with my bosses. But menopause? Hardly ever.”
This silence costs businesses billions yearly, yet addressing it requires relatively simple changes.
The LinkedIn discussion around World Menopause Day revealed a consistent theme: support doesn’t require expensive programmes or complicated policies. It requires practical adjustments and genuine understanding.
Formal menopause policy
A clear policy signals that your organisation takes this seriously. It should outline:
Integration with DEI strategy
Menopause in the workplace is fundamentally an equity issue. If your diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy doesn’t address menopause, you’re missing a significant retention challenge affecting women in mid-career.
Flexible sick leave
Make it simple to take time off for medical appointments or symptom management without elaborate justifications or bureaucratic processes.
Flexible working arrangements
This isn’t just about working from home. It’s about:
As Anna Klus, International HR Expert, observed: “Flexible start hours, short breaks and access to an air-conditioned or quiet space prevent common declines in attention and energy.”
Results-focused performance management
Measure output and outcomes, not presenteeism. If someone needs to start later, finish earlier, or take an afternoon off, what matters is whether they’re delivering quality work – not whether they’re visible in the office for set hours.
Manager training
Your managers are on the front line. They need:
Sharon Gregg highlighted this in her LinkedIn post: “When managers respond quickly and discreetly, people stop hiding problems and teams get back to doing their best work.”
Peer support networks
Create safe spaces where women can share experiences and strategies. These don’t need to be formal programmes – simply providing space and permission for colleague-led support groups can be invaluable.
Normalised conversations
The more openly menopause is discussed, the less stigma surrounds it. This starts with leadership acknowledging the topic exists and modelling that it’s acceptable to discuss workplace needs.
A menopause friendly workplace doesn’t require wholesale transformation. It requires attention to practical details that make daily work manageable.
Piret Haahr, Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach, outlined four essential pillars:
1. Formal policy
Implement a clear menopause policy that formalises support and sets expectations for managers and teams.
2. DEI integration
Recognise menopause as a core part of your diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy to ensure gender and age equality.
3. Flexible working
Ensure flexible hours or hybrid models are available to manage symptoms like fatigue and poor sleep, which are major drivers of absenteeism.
4. Measure impact
Track retention rates for women aged 45-60, absence records, and other metrics to prove the ROI of your support programmes.
Temperature control
Hot flushes are one of the most common and disruptive symptoms. Simple solutions:
Quiet spaces
Provide access to quiet areas where people can take breaks when experiencing symptoms like brain fog, anxiety, or fatigue.
Bathroom access
Ensure convenient access to facilities without needing to explain or justify frequent visits.
Comfortable workspace
Ergonomic furniture, good lighting, and pleasant surroundings reduce physical strain and support wellbeing during a challenging time.
Access to information
Provide resources about menopause, available support, and coping strategies. This benefits everyone – not just those currently experiencing symptoms.
Professional support
Consider:
Confidential conversations
Ensure people can discuss needs privately with HR or managers without fear their colleagues will know the details of their medical situation.
Your workspace design directly impacts how manageable menopause at work is for your team members. This is where thoughtful office design becomes a genuine business advantage.
What makes a difference:
Temperature zones
Modern flexible workspaces often provide variety – some areas naturally cooler, others warmer. This allows people to choose locations based on how they’re feeling that day.
Variety of work settings
Different symptoms call for different environments:
Natural light and views
Good natural light supports both physical and mental wellbeing, which matters when managing challenging symptoms.
Air quality and ventilation
Proper ventilation and fresh air access reduce the intensity of symptoms like hot flushes and help manage anxiety.
Proximity to facilities
Easy access to bathrooms, kitchens (for water and ice), and outdoor spaces removes barriers to managing symptoms discreetly.
This is where Work.Life’s approach to workspace design provides genuine support for menopause in the workplace. Our spaces are designed with wellbeing at the core:
The biggest barrier to supporting menopause at work is often silence. When people can’t discuss what they’re experiencing, they can’t access the support that would allow them to continue performing well.
Breaking the silence:
When senior leaders acknowledge menopause exists and that the organisation supports people experiencing it, permission is granted for open conversation.
This doesn’t mean everyone needs to share personal medical details. It means creating an environment where asking for a desk fan, flexible hours, or a quieter workspace doesn’t feel like revealing weakness.
Not just managers – educate all staff about menopause. This:
Use straightforward, factual language about menopause. The more it’s discussed as a normal life stage requiring reasonable adjustments (like pregnancy, injury recovery, or caring responsibilities), the less awkward these conversations become.
Build menopause into standard wellbeing discussions. During one-to-ones, managers might simply ask: “Is there anything about your physical workspace or schedule that would help you work more comfortably?”
This open question allows people to raise needs without having to initiate an awkward conversation about medical issues.
At Work.Life, we’ve built our business around recognising that workplace environment directly impacts wellbeing and performance. Our B Corp certification reflects our commitment to putting people before profit.
How we support wellbeing for all life stages:
Flexible workspace solutions
Our membership options scale with your needs. When team members need different arrangements – whether for menopause, caring responsibilities, health conditions, or personal preferences – our flexible approach accommodates change without bureaucracy.
Thoughtfully designed spaces
Every detail in our workspaces considers wellbeing:
Community and support
Our membership teams know our members and create environments where people feel comfortable raising needs. This community approach means support happens naturally, not through formal complaints processes.
Wellness programmes
Regular wellness initiatives, mental health support, and activities that promote physical and mental wellbeing create a culture where taking care of yourself is normalised, not stigmatised. Internally we have access to Heka, an amazing platform that offers incredible benefits, including female health support.
Menopause in the workplace isn’t a problem that requires solving – it’s a natural life stage that requires accommodating. The organisations that grasp this distinction will retain experienced talent, maintain productivity, and avoid the significant costs of losing skilled professionals.
The conversation around World Menopause Day 2025 made one thing clear: the silence around menopause is costing businesses billions and pushing talented women out of the workforce. But the solutions are neither complicated nor expensive.
Start with three actions:
Women experiencing menopause bring decades of experience, wisdom, and capability. Supporting them through this life stage isn’t charity – it’s smart business.
Ready to create a workspace that supports wellbeing at every life stage? Book a tour of our London, Manchester, or Reading locations and discover how thoughtful workspace design makes a genuine difference to your team’s performance and retention.
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