Menopause in the workplace - Nottingham Women's Centre

Did you know that one in four women consider leaving their jobs because of the symptoms of menopause?

Women are now working much later into their lives than ever before. The average retirement age for women in the UK is currently 64, and the average age of menopause is 51.

This means that many women are working during their menopause for over a decade, forced to contend with all of the challenges that brings. Through our research we learned that many workplaces are failing to accommodate the needs, comforts and basic rights of their colleagues as they experience menopause.

Symptoms such as anxiety, depression, poor sleep, headaches and an inability to concentrate lead many women to consider leaving their jobs. On top of this, being part of a workplace that is hostile to discussion of menopause can make the situation even worse.

All of this means that many women face the difficult decision to leave their jobs or reduce their hours – often at the peak of their careers.

After identifying the impact of the menopause amongst our service users, we spoke to women across Nottinghamshire and created our Menopause in the Workplace report, which displays all of the findings from our surveys, focus groups and email interviews with local women. We published this report during the pandemic so some of it relates to Covid-19, but much of it is still, unfortunately, just as relevant today.

Click here to read our menopause report

We’ve also developed some guidance for employers and employees, as well as some other general support resources. You can find all of this through the links below.

Employee information

Information for employees – find out more about your rights around menopause in the workplace.

Useful Resources

Useful resources for anyone experiencing menopause, including peer support groups.

Employer information

Information for employers on creating a supportive environment for staff experiencing menopause.

* Please note that the women referred to in this work are primarily cisgender women, based on who opted to participate in our research. But it is important to note that it’s not just cis women who experience menopause, and not all women go through menopause either. The experiences of menopause for trans people varies hugely depending on individuals’ circumstances. We have included some links about trans menopause in our resources page.