Summary: Menopause has a huge impact on the workplace, impacting retention, productivity and progression. A lack of specialised support means that meaningful outcomes are lacking. By taking a whole life view, employers can create more sustainable support frameworks.
The recent introduction of menopause action plans from the government reflects a growing recognition of the importance of women’s health support in the workplace.
While this marks an important step forward, there is a risk that policies alone become tick box exercises if they are not supported by meaningful healthcare access and practical support.
For many organisations, the challenge is no longer whether to introduce menopause support, but how to ensure it delivers real outcomes.
Without access to specialists, tailored guidance and structured support, policies may fall short of improving retention, wellbeing and workforce participation, particularly as more employers look to support women across longer and more varied careers.
Why menopause action plans risk becoming a tick box exercise
The scale of menopause impacting the workplace makes it difficult to ignore. Government research has found that one in six women have considered leaving work due to menopausal symptoms, while others reduce hours or step back from career progression.
At the same time, almost eight in 10 menopausal women are in work, making this one of the fastest growing workforce demographics.
Although many organisations now have menopause guidance in place, employees often struggle to access meaningful support when symptoms begin to affect their work.
Manager training and awareness sessions can help open conversations. Yet they do not always provide the tools needed to address complex or ongoing health concerns.
Despite increased awareness, support frequently stops at policy level. Employees may be encouraged to speak to their manager or access general wellbeing resources. Yet specialist care and tailored guidance can remain difficult to access.
As a result, organisations risk creating frameworks that appear supportive but fail to deliver meaningful outcomes.
One in six women have considered leaving work due to menopausal symptoms
Where employers are currently falling short
A common challenge within workplace menopause strategies is the absence of structured healthcare support. Flexible working arrangements and environmental adjustments are often introduced. But fewer organisations provide direct access to clinicians, menopause specialists or personalised treatment pathways.
This gap is becoming more pronounced as demand for support increases across different age groups.
Healix Health claims data from last year shows a 77 per cent rise in menopause related claims among women aged 30 to 39, alongside a 29 per cent increase among those aged 50 to 59.
At the same time, gender specific health benefit usage rose by 16 per cent year on year, with women accounting for 87 per cent of claims, primarily among those aged 30 to 49.
These findings suggest that women’s health challenges are emerging earlier in careers, reinforcing the need for proactive and structured support.
When symptoms are complex or prolonged, this gap becomes more pronounced. Women may face long waiting times for NHS appointments or struggle to navigate treatment options independently.
In the meantime, symptoms such as fatigue, anxiety, sleep disruption and cognitive changes, as well as physical symptoms like headaches and joint pain, can affect confidence, engagement and productivity.
Beyond individual wellbeing, the wider workforce impact is becoming increasingly clear. Parliamentary research has suggested that hundreds of thousands of women have left jobs due to menopause related symptoms. Plus, millions of working days are lost each year.
These figures highlight that menopause is not only a health issue, but also a retention and productivity challenge.
Thinking beyond menopause
Focusing solely on menopause risks overlooking the broader picture of women’s health across working life.
Menstruation, fertility challenges, pregnancy, postpartum recovery and perimenopause all form part of the employee experience. Each brings potential implications for attendance, performance and career progression.
Supporting women through different life stages is becoming increasingly important as workforce participation remains a priority for employers and policymakers. Women aged 45 to 60 represent a growing segment of the workforce, bringing experience, leadership and institutional knowledge.
Taking a whole life view allows employers to create more sustainable support frameworks. Access to specialists, preventative care and tailored guidance across different life stages can help organisations retain talent and reduce the risk of experienced employees stepping away from the workforce.
When meaningful support is in place, organisations are more likely to retain this talent and reduce absenteeism. Improved health outcomes also contribute to productivity, engagement and long term workforce resilience.
Women’s health challenges are emerging earlier in careers
How healthcare access improves retention and wellbeing
Access to women specific healthcare can strengthen workplace policies by turning awareness into action. When employees can speak with appropriately trained clinicians, including specialist GPs and women’s health practitioners, and receive timely advice, symptoms can be better managed and confidence restored.
Managers also benefit from this approach, particularly when navigating sensitive or complex conversations. Structured support enables more practical and outcomes focused discussions, reducing reliance on informal adjustments or inconsistent guidance.
For organisations, the impact extends beyond individual support. Helping women remain in work during periods of change supports retention, particularly among experienced employees in leadership or specialist roles.
Menopause support should therefore be viewed as part of a broader workforce strategy rather than a standalone initiative.
Moving beyond awareness and towards meaningful healthcare support, alongside a whole life approach to women’s health, offers employers an opportunity to strengthen retention, improve wellbeing and support sustainable workforce participation.
Actionable insights
- Move from policy to pathway: Having a menopause policy isn’t enough. Pair it with direct access to clinicians, menopause specialists and personalised treatment pathways.
- Train managers to handle complexity: Equip managers with structured support frameworks so they can handle ongoing, complex health conversations with practical outcomes.
- Start support earlier in women’s careers: Build women’s health support into benefits from early career stages so employees aren’t caught without resources when symptoms emerge.
- Take a whole-life women’s health view: Menstruation, fertility, pregnancy, postpartum and perimenopause all affect attendance and performance. Rather than isolated initiatives, build a joined-up framework that supports women across all life stages
- Measure menopause support as a retention and productivity metric: Track absenteeism, turnover among women aged 40 to 60 and engagement scores. This shifts menopause from a wellbeing tick-box to a workforce resilience issue.
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