Menopause at Work – 5 Quick Questions with Niki Woods

In recent years, the conversation around menopause in the workplace has gained significant momentum, yet many organisations still overlook its impact on employee well-being and productivity. For HR professionals, managers, or anyone with overall responsibility for staff well-being, understanding menopause and its effects is crucial in fostering an inclusive and supportive work environment.

We spoke to Niki Woods, expert in helping businesses retain female talent & support success in midlife. In 5 quick questions, Niki explains the why, what and where do I start to help you get ahead of the employment rights changes:

1. Why are people talking about menopause at work?

The UK has 7 million women aged 45-60 in the workplace (CIPD 2023), and approximately 80% of those experiencing menopause are in work – so this is a huge chunk of our workforce. Given that perimenopause usually starts in our early 40s, we’re talking about roughly 25 years of women’s working lives being spent either peri or post-menopause.

Unsupported menopause has a huge impact: 17-25% of women have considered leaving work due to menopause, and 6-10% actually have. This has huge financial impact to organisations in terms of cost of recruitment, time to train replacements, and loss of organisational knowledge as many of those leaving are at the peak of their career.

Menopause symptoms can severely affect 25% of women (a further 50% have milder symptoms), but with the right knowledge and intervention these numbers can be greatly reduced. It’s a real case of ‘knowledge is power’ when it comes to reducing the impact of symptoms, meaning women can perform better and stay in work adding value to organisations.

And of course it’s now even more on everyone’s radar as the Employment Rights Bill introduces new duties for organisations around supporting menopause in the workplace.

2. In what ways can menopause symptoms affect women at work?

2023 CIPD research found the most common symptoms affecting women at work were psychological, such as mood disturbances, anxiety, depression, memory loss, panic attacks, loss of confidence, reduced concentration.

79% said they were less able to concentrate, 68% said they experienced more stress, 49% said they felt less patient with clients and colleagues. 46% felt less physically able to carry out work tasks.

These symptoms can be symptoms in their own right due to rapidly fluctuating hormones, or they can be the ‘side-effect’ of lack of sleep – sleep disturbances such as insomnia are an issue for up to 60% of women in midlife.

Menstrual and urinary symptoms can also be severe during this time, and those suffering from hot flushes can also be impacted at work.

3. Who needs to be considering how menopause can affect women at work?

Everyone! But in practical terms those leading the organisation, policy-makers, HR, and managers should be at the forefront of this. It’s not just about having a ‘menopause policy’ or keeping an eye on the forthcoming legislative changes around menopause, it’s about ensuring you view all policies and actions through a ‘menopause lens’ to ensure you’re not inadvertently negatively impacting menopausal colleagues.

HR and wellbeing professionals have an important role to play, but so does the leadership team in working to make menopause less stigmatised.

4. What is one simple things companies could do today to support their female workforce during this time?

The CIPD says “The workplace support someone receives makes a considerable difference to the impact of symptoms at work”. Their 2023 research found a 13% reduction of the negative impact of symptoms if the employee felt supported within their workplace.

Respondents to the CIPD survey said flexible working and ability to control temperature are the most helpful measures to mitigate symptoms, and 67% said home and hybrid working make dealing with menopause symptoms easier.

5. Is it important for men to be clued up on menopause as well?

Absolutely! Because not only are men managers and colleagues, they’re also friends and partners. Men have a vital role to play as allies within the workplace, but men may also be being affected by their partner’s menopause – for example if they aren’t sleeping, or if lack of knowledge and understanding about menopause is leading to relationship difficulties. One of the things most commonly said to me by men at the end of training sessions is “I’m off home to talk to my wife now!”

It’s important to explore why menopause matters in the workplace, the role HR and management play in addressing it, and how organisations can implement effective strategies to support employees experiencing menopause.

With more women staying in the workforce longer, the challenges associated with menopause—from physical symptoms like hot flushes and fatigue to mental health impacts such as anxiety and mood changes—are becoming increasingly prevalent. Our new government thankfully recognise this and it makes sense to get ahead of the changes and equip yourself with the knowledge on upcoming Menopause Policy requirements. Sometimes it’s prudent to bring in expert advice for specialist subjects that you’ve maybe not navigated before.

Niki's Bio

Niki Woods is a former HR Manager turned menopause and midlife wellness educator. A member of the British Menopause Society, International Menopause Society, trained PT and nutritionist, she brings together her knowledge of health, menopause, and the workplace to support organisations and individuals to perform at a high level in midlife and beyond. She’s also the author of The Man’s Guide To Menopause which is a book dedicated to making menopause easier to understand for men.  

We will be running an event with Niki on Tuesday 3rd December in the Sheffield area, venue TBC. Please don’t hesitate to contact Lucy to register your interest.