The Business Case For Supporting Employees Through Menopause

Women ages 45 to 64 make up about 17.5% of the U.S. labor force, according to Department of Labor data. But employers are losing out on this enormous talent pool, as many women face career barriers from lack of menopause support. In a Biote 2022 survey, 17% of women ages 50 to 64 admitted quitting or considering quitting their job due to menopause-related challenges. With a shrinking pool of younger workers, menopause support is becoming a business imperative. The good news? Menopause support can also offer employers an excellent return on investment.

Most women experience menopause (the cessation of menstruation for a year) between the ages of 40 and 58. Women also experience a “perimenopause” transition phase that typically lasts four to eight years. Frequent symptoms include hot flashes, headaches, extreme fatigue, insomnia, night sweats, joint pain, stiff muscles, irregular and heavy periods, anxiety, panic attacks, mood changes, dizziness, memory lapses, and “brain fog,” among others. Yet instead of receiving workplace support to continue advancing their careers, women often suffer in silence.

Over 87% of women in the Biote survey had not spoken to their employer about their menopause symptoms. Their primary concerns were about stigma and lack of support. Nearly 65% of the women said their workplace lacked menopause accommodations. With inadequate support, missed work days due to menopause symptoms cause an estimated $1.8 billion of annual economic loss in the U.S., according to a 2023 Mayo Clinic report.

While investing in menopause support can reduce the cost of absenteeism, that is only part of the economic picture. Employers can benefit in at least five additional ways by supporting employees through menopause.

1. Supporting Menopause Advances Women’s Leadership

The average age of new CEOs in the S&P 1500 in 2023 was 56.2 years, according to a Spencer Stuart report. So many women are attempting to break into leadership during peak menopause symptoms. “Employers that lack menopause support will push talented women out the door at the height of their careers,” said Jack Tuckner, a women’s rights attorney and founding partner of the Tuckner, Sipser law firm, in a phone conversation.

Yet women often forego or are denied career advancement opportunities because of menopause-related challenges. In the Biote survey, one out of four women felt their career development or work-related opportunities had been impacted by menopause symptoms. This is “a potentially unrecognized reason for the leaky leadership pipeline and the paucity of women in senior leadership positions,” according to the Mayo Clinic researchers.

So getting serious about advancing women into leadership means getting serious about providing menopause support. This commitment can have a big upside, as research finds that gender diversity in leadership improves a company’s financial performance, customer service, and innovation.

2. Supporting Menopause Helps Recruit And Retain Needed Talent

The U.S. labor market is facing a reduced pool of younger workers, so employers can’t afford to ignore middle-age women. “The best argument for businesses supporting women in midlife boils down to demographics and economics,” said Bradley Schurman, Founder and CEO of Human Change, via email. “Without their participation, organizations will struggle to meet their talent needs.”

Supporting menopause is both a retention and a recruiting tool. Nearly one in five women have considered changing jobs for better menopause support, and 22% would consider retiring early because of menopause symptoms, according to a 2022 Carrot Fertility survey of 1000 female employees ages 40 to 55. Nearly six out of ten women in the Biote survey said that when considering an employer, it would be important that the company expressed a commitment to support employees through menopause.

3. Supporting Menopause Improves Brand Ambassadorship

Women with access to menopause benefits are significantly more likely to recommend their employer to others as a great place to work, according to a 2023 study by Bank of America and the National Menopause Foundation. Women with access to menopause benefits are also more likely to recommend their company’s products and services. So investing in menopause support is also an investment in brand ambassadorship.

4. Supporting Menopause Reduces Legal Risk

Employers are facing an increasing risk of menopause discrimination claims under various federal and state laws governing sex, age, disability, and pregnancy-related medical conditions. This risk can be reduced through workplace education and by training managers to engage in an interactive dialogue with women regarding menopause-related needs. “The interactive process often leads to inexpensive—and effective—accommodations,” explained professor Marcy Karin, Director of the Legislation/Civil Rights Clinic at the UDC School of Law, via email.

Typical accommodations involve providing cooling fans or temperature-controlled rooms, expanding access to water and restrooms, modifying uniform or dress codes, providing a wellness room for rest periods, or permitting unscheduled breaks, flexible work hours, remote work options, and temporary or intermittent leave for periods of acute symptoms. These types of workplace accommodations can not only reduce legal claims, but also reduce absenteeism and turnover.

5. Providing Menopause Benefits Offers A Competitive Advantage

Ninety-two percent of women in the Carrot Fertility survey agreed that employers should provide menopause benefits for various reasons, including improving retention, productivity, job satisfaction, workplace culture, and gender equality. Nearly two-thirds of women in the BofA survey said they wanted menopause-specific support at their workplace. Yet only 15% of U.S. companies offered menopause benefits in 2024, according to a Mercer report. This disconnect suggests that employers can gain a competitive advantage by offering menopause benefits.

Companies could begin by auditing existing health benefits to ensure that menopause is covered. For example, not all health insurance plans cover menopause treatments, including hormone replacement therapy. Employers could also approve menopause-related services under existing lifestyle spending accounts or other mental health and wellness programs. Other benefits might include access to menopause specialists, preventive screenings, and nutritional counseling.

As menopause awareness grows, more resources are becoming available to employers. Benefits specialists, including Carrot Fertility, Maven, Midi, MiDOViA, The Pause Technologies, and Winona, among others, offer menopause-related workplace packages, trainings, and other resources, which should make workplace support increasingly accessible.