Many employers are beginning to recognize that real support for well-being means meeting people during all phases of their life, including supporting women employees during menopause, a pivotal life stage. For the millions of women navigating this stage while managing careers, families and more, thoughtful workplace support makes a meaningful difference. But menopause workplace benefits alone aren’t enough. True support and care should be embedded into your culture, including how teams communicate and whether employees feel seen and valued. When organizations extend their well-being efforts to every life stage, they create a workplace where everyone can stay engaged, healthy and supported.
Menopause in the workplace is a growing, yet overlooked concern.
Research from Stanford finds about one in five U.S. workers is a woman nearing the end of her reproductive years. And, more than one million U.S. women experience menopause each year.2 Despite these statistics, the conversation around menopause at work remains limited. Many companies have yet to adapt their corporate guidance, programs and offerings to support women in this life stage, even though doing so can significantly enhance their well-being and productivity and create a more inclusive environment.
Why menopause support is important for workforce health.
When people don’t feel well, their work often suffers. Menopause symptoms disrupt daily life silently. Trouble sleeping, waves of anxiety or persistent brain fog can make it harder to focus, stay organized or feel confident at work. Over time, these challenges wear down even the most experienced professionals. According to our Portfolio of Key Insights: Workplace and Employee Survey, between 2022 and 2024, burnout rates jumped across every age group, but Gen X saw the sharpest rise, up 60%. Out of these individuals, 49% were women.3 This is a key group that often juggles leadership roles, family care and the demands of midlife. Without the proper support, the symptoms of burnout in women only worsen.
How does menopause affect women in the workplace?
Menopause symptoms aren’t always obvious. It might be harder to stay focused during meetings, feel calm under pressure or keep up with deadlines that used to feel routine. Some days bring more energy than others, and irritability or fatigue may creep in unexpectedly. Because these symptoms are internal, it’s often difficult for others to notice and easy for women to mask them. Many people power through, unsure if asking for help is okay. This invisible strain often leaves midlife women feeling disconnected and isolated from their teams and unsupported in their roles.
How to normalize menopause in the workplace.
Creating a menopause-friendly workplace starts with everyday culture. It’s less about sweeping changes and more about creating space for awareness, empathy and honest conversations.
Provide manager education.
Leaders set the tone, so giving managers the tools to recognize stress, adjust expectations and offer timely support to female coworkers can make a difference. With the right training, senior-level employees are better prepared to act early before challenges affect women’s performance.
Encourage open dialogue.
Creating safe ways for women to share what they’re going through, like anonymous feedback or small peer groups, breaks the silence. These moments of connection can be powerful, and lead to a shared understanding of menopause and its challenges.
What many workplace well-being strategies are still missing.
Even companies with strong well-being programs often miss the mark when it comes to midlife support. Menopause is frequently overlooked or folded into broader categories that don’t speak to women’s specific challenges at this stage.
Lack of targeted content for midlife women.
A lot of well-being content still centers on topics like parenting or fertility. That leaves a gap for those navigating menopause, who need resources that reflect their current reality, not advice meant for an earlier life stage.
Gaps in emotional support.
Mood changes, sleep disruption and burnout can take a toll, but these symptoms aren’t always linked to menopause in well-being conversations. Many employees over 45 have said they left their jobs because they didn’t feel heard, recognized or valued.4 That kind of disconnect is avoidable. More importantly, addressing the emotional toll of menopause alongside physical symptoms helps remove stigma and empowers employees to seek support sooner.
Well-being programs don’t include the right information.
General campaigns often miss the nuance of this life stage. Without content that’s customized, practical and relevant, even the best tools can fall short when people need them most. Offering menopause-specific modules or toolkits within broader well-being platforms makes this content feel integrated and ensures it reaches more of the people who need it.
Let’s explore some menopause workplace benefits.
Supporting menopause doesn’t require an overhaul. It’s about weaving options into your existing well-being efforts. These small shifts go a long way in helping women feel better supported and more in control of their experience.
Offer menopause-specific resources.
Providing tools like symptom checklists, short educational videos or on-demand content within a digital well-being hub gives women a discreet way to find important information. Easy access to these resources shows women their needs are understood without requiring them to ask for help directly.
WebMD Health Services group health coaching program offers a live, video-based coaching series on menopause. These classes connect individuals who are also interested in managing the menopausal transition, understanding menopause and life after menopause. I found these digital coaching classes so valuable and loved being more connected to others facing similar challenges.
Provide holistic well-being guidance.
Many women benefit from support that goes beyond symptoms. Practical guidance around nutrition, movement, sleep and stress can help people feel more balanced and in control during a time of change. Tailoring this information to menopause makes it more relevant and far more impactful.
Consider offering menopause education webinars, educational content and even Q&A sessions for employees to ask questions. Our employee menopause education series has been a huge success. Here are just a few of the comments employees have provided:
- “As a male, this was really insightful and helpful to be able to better understand and support women around me who may/are going through it.”
- “Very educational and a positive outlook on such a big change that no one talks about.”
- “I really appreciated the level of honesty when discussing this topic.”
Create guidance documentation that supports requests for flexible work arrangements.
Some symptoms, like night sweats or poor sleep, are not following a schedule. Each situation is different and there is no standard approach to supporting women at work. Above all, it is important to listen to women and respond sympathetically to any requests for adjustments at work. “Lack of flexibility in where and when I work” was one of the top reasons employees of all ages gave for leaving a job.4 Menopause is one more reason to prioritize it.
Create a sense of belonging.
Support is about connection. I often bring up the menopause topic with my friends and family. But having a safe space at work is another way to extend that support. Coach-led groups, peer circles or discussion spaces offer women a way to talk openly and feel seen. These options create a culture where people don’t have to go it alone during life stages that often feel isolating. These communities also serve as informal focus groups and offer feedback to help organizations evolve.
Supporting menopause is supporting whole-person well-being.
Menopause benefits in the workplace go beyond financial and medical. Backing women through this life stage is part of a thoughtful, whole-person approach to well-being. When people feel supported through major life changes, they’re more likely to stay engaged, productive and connected to their work. That’s so important as rates of burnout and emotional fatigue continue to rise. Providing the right tools, resources and cultural support sends a strong message: everyone deserves to feel understood and empowered at every career stage. By including menopause in your well-being strategy, you strengthen your workforce and show women that their experiences matter in theory and in practice. If you are looking to improve your well-being program, WebMD Health Services can help. Request a demo today.
