5.91 Supporting women's hormone health in the workplace

It’s easy to imagine how experiencing migraines, fatigue, brain fog, or hot flashes could negatively impact one’s workday. Yet many women must endure this and more.

That’s because these are among the myriad symptoms common in menopause and perimenopause — life stages that all women will experience. Menopause typically occurs between age 45 and 55 years, with perimenopause starting as early as age 35. That’s when many are at the “top of their game” and most valuable to your organization, holding institutional wisdom, providing mature decision-making, and serving as dynamic and influential leaders.¹

Understanding the economic implications

The effects of the challenges those women face are not visited on them alone. A recent Mayo Clinic study observed that “Given that midlife women constitute a significant proportion of the global workforce, the potential economic impact of menopause symptoms in the workplace related to the direct and indirect costs of absenteeism, lost work productivity, increased direct and indirect health care costs, and lost opportunities for career advancement are staggering.”² More specifically, based on workdays missed due to menopause symptoms, they estimate an annual loss of $1.8 billion in the United States.² Further, according to Lockton, when factoring in medical costs, the total annual loss reaches $26.6 billion.³

It may, then, be in the best interests of not only women, but their employers, to give them the tools they need to help them succeed.

Tools and resources

To that end, The Menopause Society (formerly, the North American Menopause Society) has published the Making Menopause Work™ Employer Guide.

The Menopause Society is a nonprofit organization with the mission of providing tools and resources to improve the health of women during the menopause transition and beyond.⁴

Their guide may provide suggestions that could be helpful in supporting those who are experiencing menopause and perimenopause in your workplace.

In addition, you might consider making sure employees are aware of their health, mental health, and prescription benefits.

Benefits awareness is key to effective treatment

The hormone therapy that is often used to treat menopause symptoms requires a prescription and should be part of a comprehensive regime carefully designed by providers to meet the unique needs of the woman being treated.⁵ It’s important, then, that a woman seek treatment with a clear awareness of what her plan covers.

Women's health is a strategic workplace advantage

As Wesleigh Roeca over at Employee Benefit News eloquently put it, “Women are inherently strong and resilient, capable of excelling in every aspect of work. Hormonal health plays a natural role in influencing energy, focus, mental well-being, and productivity. By providing the right support, employers can optimize overall well-being, enabling women to perform at their highest potential — not because they need compensation, but because they deserve the tools to thrive.”⁶

With the appropriate supports in place, you’ll likely discover that good hormonal health health isn’t just good for women, it’s good for your workplace, the customers you serve, and your bottom line.

1. The Menopause Society: Making Menopause Work

2. Mayo Clinic: Impact of Menopause Symptoms on Women in the Workplace

3. Locton: Menopause in the Workplace

4. The Menopause Society: About Us

5. AMA: What doctors wish patients knew about menopause

6. Employee Benefit News: The importance of holistic hormone health for women at every life stage