“Symptoms like insomnia, brain fog, fatigue, hot flashes, and mood changes directly affect work performance,” Dr. Ni says.
- Hot flashes
- Brain fog
- Trouble concentrating
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Sleep
- Mood
Over 13 percent of middle-aged women have had one or more unfavorable work outcomes due to menopause, including missing days of work, according to a large survey of 4,400 women. Women with the most extreme symptoms were 15 times more likely than others to have work-related issues.
More than hot flashes or other physical problems, the mood symptoms of menopause are behind most absenteeism, says the study’s lead author, Stephanie Faubion, MD, director of Mayo Clinic Women’s Health and medical director of The Menopause Society.
When these women are not supported by their employers, problems can arise.
Stats on Menopause in the Workplace
“For some people, menopause can be the tipping point — but it does not have to be permanent or career-ending,” Dr. Ni says.
Even so, many women in a 2024 AARP survey reported losing work hours, considering retiring early, or leaving jobs entirely due to their symptoms. This is often due to a lack of support, or discomfort with discussing their needs with management.
And a survey in 2022 by the Fawcett Society, a British nonprofit advocating for women’s equity, found that 1 in 10 women have left a job directly due to menopause symptoms.
A Real Life Example of Menopause’s Workplace Effects
Miranda Bryant, of St. Paul, Minnesota, had always been organized and efficient at work. But seven years ago, when she transitioned to a new role at a global health research institute, where she had worked for several years, she suddenly found herself struggling to keep up with her assignments.
Before weekly meetings with a much-younger female supervisor, Bryant, who was in her fifties, organized her laptop to highlight recent accomplishments and upcoming action items. But during the meetings, she would scramble to find the information. Then, when her institute went virtual during the COVID-19 pandemic, Bryant began to experience anxiety, so she took a monthlong medical leave. When she returned, her boss fired her.
In retrospect, Bryant realizes that her mental health symptoms largely resulted from perimenopause. “At the time, I wasn’t connecting the dots to my shifting hormones,” she says. She saw the link clearly only after other perimenopause symptoms appeared, including insomnia, joint pain, and headaches, and once her periods stopped altogether.
Bryant isn’t unique in having menopausal symptoms clash with the work environment.
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