MENOPAUSE GUIDE

Dealing with Menopause in the Workplace

This guide explores the common issues associated with menopause, the legal obligations on employers and how to deal with issues around menopause in the workplace.

For women in the workplace to feel comfortable talking about their experience with menopause, it’s crucial to understand what they are going through. Whilst you may not be able to directly relate to the issues and symptoms associated with menopause, having a foundational understanding of how this can affect a woman’s personal and professional life is vital, especially to help make the workplace a safe and open environment.

What is Menopause?

Menopause is the time in a woman’s life where her periods stop as hormone levels drop. A woman will also lose the reproductive function in her ovaries. This change is not instant, and a woman has not reached the menopause stage until she has not had a period for 12 months. The time leading up to this is known as the ‘perimenopause’, during which women will experience menopause-associated symptoms.

Perimenopause and menopause typically affect women between the ages of 45 and 55, but this can vary depending on the person.

A woman will usually experience symptoms including: