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The absence of workplace accommodations for employees experiencing menopause isn\u2019t just detrimental to their mental and physical well-being, it\u2019s also damaging to their careers. That\u2019s according to a new survey of thousands of women enduring symptoms of menopause<\/a> and perimenopause.<\/p>\n Women\u2019s health care company Bonafide<\/a> polled more than 2,000 U.S. women ages 40\u201364 for its fourth-annual State of Menopause report<\/a>, the results of which were published Monday. More than three in four women (76%) reported having no workplace accommodations for menopause<\/a>, a biological milestone over 1 million women nationwide experience each year, according to the National Institute on Aging (NIA)<\/a>.<\/p>\n These data reflect a decrease in already minimal support; nearly a third of respondents (31%) in Bonafide\u2019s inaugural 2021 survey<\/a> reported feeling at least \u201cslightly supported\u201d by their employer.<\/p>\n In this year\u2019s survey, just over half of women (51%) said they want increased workplace accommodations. Empathy from colleagues and increased time off are just two ways companies can help meet the needs of employees going through menopause<\/a>, the report says.<\/p>\n \u201cThe days of suffering in silence are over,\u201d Dr. Alyssa Dweck<\/a>, a practicing gynecologist and Bonafide\u2019s chief medical officer, tells Fortune<\/em>. \u201cIf you\u2019re on crutches or you\u2019re in a wheelchair, it\u2019s very reasonable to make sure the elevator is working if you work in a tall building.<\/p>\n \u201cSo if you\u2019re suffering with hot flashes and night sweats and they\u2019re interfering with your work or they\u2019re interfering with your productivity, why wouldn\u2019t it make sense to give simple options to make people more comfortable?\u201d<\/p>\n While temporary, a woman\u2019s odyssey to menopause is hardly brief. Perimenopause<\/a>, also called the menopausal transition, usually begins between the ages of 45 and 55, and can last seven to 14 years, according to the NIA. Not all women experience symptoms, but some face a range and combination of symptoms from hot flashes and painful sex, to depression and trouble sleeping<\/a>. Formally, menopause marks one year after a woman\u2019s final period.<\/p>\n In other words, the pinnacle of a woman\u2019s career may overlap with years-long, unavoidable changes to her mental and\/or physical health. Nearly one in two women (49%) polled by Bonafide said menopause has impacted their job performance. It\u2019s worse among women under 50, about 76% of whom said their job performance has suffered.<\/p>\n \u201cThe women who were a little younger, 40\u201349, felt a little bit more helpless and less seen and less appreciated, I suppose, in the workplace, and were very interested in having more accommodations made to make their day-to-day lives more comfortable,\u201d Dweck says.<\/p>\n Dweck wasn\u2019t surprised by the age discrepancy, which she says has a clear culprit: technology. It\u2019s not that the older women surveyed don\u2019t feel the same impacts of menopause in the workplace, she says; rather, they may be used to a \u201cgrin-and-bear-it\u201d culture.<\/p>\n Women under 50, Dweck says, \u201cgrew up using cycle apps to monitor their flow. They grew up with much more tech as it involved fertility. So, naturally, they\u2019re also going to be much more tech savvy and interested when it comes to symptoms during the menopause journey.\u201d Bonafide reports women under 50 are four times more likely to use a mobile app, wearable technology, or digital health care platform to manage their menopause symptoms.<\/p>\n Nearly half of all respondents (48%) said they believe women experiencing menopause are seen as less productive or emotionally stable<\/a> in the workplace. And in addition to fielding workplace discrimination such as ageism<\/a>, misogyny<\/a>, and wage gaps<\/a>, more than two in five women (42%) said menopause symptoms have inhibited their career ambitions.<\/p>\n Failing to address these concerns could have devastating consequences on companies\u2019 bottom lines and the U.S. economy\u2014women 16 and older accounted for 47% of the workforce<\/a> in June\u2014aside from stymieing women\u2019s professional trajectories. Last year, a Mayo Clinic study<\/a> estimated menopause contributes to $1.8 billion per year in lost work time<\/a> in the U.S., a figure that skyrockets to $26.6 billion when medical expenses are included. The institutional knowledge that female employees of a certain age bring to the table is also at stake.<\/p>\n \u201cThese are the women who have already climbed quite a bit at their jobs\u2026they may have many people working under them,\u201d Dweck says. \u201cWhy would any employer want to get rid of or lose a super-productive person who\u2019s already fully trained and very valuable to the workforce at that job?\u201d<\/p>\n After all, unless a company has an all-male workforce, Dweck says, each of its employees who menstruate will hit perimenopause sooner or later.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s Talk Menopause<\/a>, a national nonprofit advocating for menopause education and research, advises companies to incorporate these best practices to support female employees:<\/p>\n While the subject of menopause is becoming less taboo\u2014Bonafide reported a 12% increase from 2023 in the number of women who openly discuss menopause with friends and family\u2014it\u2019s understandable that not every woman feels comfortable addressing her associated needs at work. When in doubt, talk to HR, Dweck says. Companies may also consider providing educational resources or telehealth sessions with a menopause coach, and relaxing the dress code during the warmer months.<\/p>\n Employees going through menopause, Dweck says, are likely to be \u201cmore loyal, thoughtful, and engaged if they had that perception that their bosses really cared about them, even on such a simple level.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n For more on navigating menopause in the workplace:<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Subscribe to Well Adjusted, our newsletter full of simple strategies to work smarter and live better, from the Fortune Well team. <\/span>Sign up<\/span><\/a> for free today.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\nWomen say menopause has impacted job performance<\/h2>\n
What can companies do to support employees experiencing menopause?<\/h2>\n
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