3 days ago
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.
But that doesn't mean that workplaces are required to respond to menopause.
'There's no specific requirement under federal law for employers to accommodate a worker's menopausal symptoms,' points out Emily Gold Waldman, who teaches employment law at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University and is the co-author of Menstruation Matters. She notes that existing federal laws, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act , can sometimes offer indirect protection. One state – Rhode Island –even enacted legislation earlier this summer to require that workplaces accommodate menopause in the same way that they accommodate pregnancy and childbirth.
Unless they live in Rhode Island, however, many women face a legal gap that leaves them without recourse when symptoms—like hot flashes, brain fog, and sleep disturbances—interfere with their work. Women may leave their jobs or work fewer hours.
Even without a legal requirement to do so, workplaces can take steps to help employees manage the menopause Workplaces Can Do
1. Normalize the Conversation
Most women – 80% -- feel that menopause is 'too personal' to discuss at work. Employers can foster open dialogue and offer education to reduce stigma. They can help to create a culture that is open and supportive, points out The Menopause Society in its employer guide, Making Menopause Work. Women in leadership can talk about their own experiences with menopause. Workers can create their own support groups. Some companies, including Nvidia and Genentech, have developed programs for menopause support that include information and specialized health care appointments.
2. Offer Practical Accommodations
Employers can provide improved ventilation, better temperature-controlled spaces, and breathable uniforms to help with symptoms.
3. Train Managers and HR Professionals
To ensure that managers understands menopause, employers can offer training and ensure resources are available through HR departments.
4. Protect Health Data
Employers might use apps to help workers manage symptoms. But, cautions Bridget Crawford, a law professor at Pace University and the second co-author of Menstruation Matters, apps typically collect sensitive health information that could be vulnerable to surveillance. Workers need to know that their information will be safe.
5. Push for Policy Change
Even without new federal laws, federal agencies, such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, can take actions, points out Waldman. They could issue guidelines that recognize the need for menopause accommodation and that treat menopause-based discrimination as a form of sex or age discrimination. There could be better protection for 'intimate privacy' from both the state and federal government, explains University of Virginia law professor Danielle Citron.
As menopause becomes more visible in culture and commerce, the workplace must evolve too. Supporting midlife women isn't just good ethics—it's smart economics.
