Menopause Awareness Month is coming up, but support shouldn’t stop there.

October marks Menopause Awareness Month, a time when conversations about menopause take centre stage in the media, workplaces and communities.

For organisations, it’s an excellent opportunity to start talking openly about menopause, raise awareness and show employees that their health and wellbeing truly matter.

But menopause doesn’t only happen in October. 

The challenges, symptoms and impacts are felt every single day by millions of women, many of whom are your colleagues, team members and leaders.

If we want to build truly inclusive workplaces, menopause support can’t be a once-a-year initiative. It has to be part of your culture, policies, and everyday conversations.

Why starting now matters

When menopause isn’t talked about or understood at work, employees are more likely to suffer in silence, struggle with performance, or even leave their jobs.

The numbers speak for themselves:

• 72 % of women experiencing menopause symptoms say they affect their ability to concentrate, and 70 % report increased stress impacting their work (Statista, 2022).

• Over a quarter (27 %) of women aged 40–60 in employment say menopause has negatively affected their career progression (CIPD, 2023).

• More than half (53 %) have missed work due to symptoms, and around 17 % have considered leaving their job because of a lack of support (CIPD, 2023).

• The UK loses an estimated 14 million working days each year due to menopause, and almost 900,000 women have left work because their symptoms made it impossible to continue (BHSF, 2023).

• Despite this, only 24 % of organisations have a menopause policy or formal support measures in place (CIPD, 2023).

These statistics paint a clear picture: menopause is already having a major impact on workplaces across the UK — but too few organisations are prepared.

Starting to build your support now means you can use October as a launchpad for meaningful, ongoing change, rather than scrambling for a one-off awareness event.

Here’s how I can help

I’m offering a free value session where you can:

• Share where your organisation currently stands in supporting employees through menopause.

• Gain tailored, practical advice on how to close any gaps.

• Learn what it takes to move towards a gold standard menopause programme — one that drives awareness, provides meaningful support, and fosters an inclusive culture all year round. 

If you’d like to book your free session, send me a message here via our contavct page and I'll be in touch.

Let’s make menopause support a year-round commitment,  because your women deserve nothing less.

References & Links

1. Statista (2022) – 72% of women experiencing menopause symptoms say they affect their ability to concentrate, and 70% report increased stress impacting their work: https://www.bhsf.co.uk/news-insights/the-silent-struggle-managing-menopause-in-the-workplace

2. CIPD (2023) – 27% of women aged 40–60 in employment say menopause has negatively affected their career progression: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/article/2024/may/14/i-felt-like-i-was-losing-my-mind-how-to-keep-your-career-on-track-during-menopause

3. CIPD (2023) – 53% have missed work due to symptoms, and around 17% have considered leaving their job: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/article/2024/may/14/i-felt-like-i-was-losing-my-mind-how-to-keep-your-career-on-track-during-menopause

4. BHSF (2023) – The UK loses an estimated 14 million working days each year due to menopause, and almost 900,000 women have left work because of symptoms: https://www.bhsf.co.uk/news-insights/the-silent-struggle-managing-menopause-in-the-workplace

5. CIPD (2023) – Only 24% of organisations have a menopause policy or formal support measures in place: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/article/2024/may/14/i-felt-like-i-was-losing-my-mind-how-to-keep-your-career-on-track-during-menopause