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Why Menopause Should Be a Boardroom Conversation?

For decades, the corporate world has spoken fluently about quarterly results, innovation pipelines, and leadership development. Yet, there remains a resounding silence around something that directly affects nearly half the global workforce: menopause.

Yes, menopause. That phase in a woman’s life which is often discussed in hushed tones, if at all. But it's time that silence ended, especially in boardrooms. Because the cost of ignoring menopause in the workplace isn't just measured in absenteeism or resignations; it's measured in lost talent, missed opportunities, and compromised workplace wellness for women.

Let’s Talk About What We Don’t Talk About

Imagine this: A senior project manager, in her mid-40s, starts struggling with brain fog. She forgets client details she once recalled effortlessly. Night sweats leave her drained before she even enters a meeting. Anxiety creeps in unexpectedly, making public speaking a key part of her job—suddenly unbearable. She's not underperforming because she lacks competence or commitment; she's navigating perimenopause with zero support or understanding from her workplace.

Now picture this happening across teams, departments, and entire industries, often in silence, often misunderstood. Why? Because menopause is still viewed as a “personal issue,” not a workplace one.

Menopause in the Workplace: A Hidden Leadership Issue

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: women’s health at work has never been a corporate priority. From inadequate maternity leave policies to lack of menstrual health support, the system wasn’t built with women’s bodies or their changing hormonal realities in mind.

Menopause in the workplace is no different. Symptoms like sleep disruption, mood swings, hot flashes, and memory lapses can impact day-to-day performance. But when there's no framework to talk about it—let alone manage it—it creates a culture of invisibility and shame. Women either suffer in silence, quietly exit leadership tracks, or are perceived as “losing their edge.”

This isn’t just a gender equity issue, it’s a talent management crisis.

A Missed Opportunity for Retention and Inclusion

Data shows that women in their 40s and 50s are the fastest-growing demographic in the workforce. These are experienced professionals, mentors, team leaders, and decision-makers. Letting them walk out the door because there’s no policy or support around menopause is like letting go of institutional memory, leadership capability, and deep industry insight.

And here's the irony: companies spend millions on leadership training, executive coaching, and DEI initiatives. Yet they fail to retain mid-career women simply because no one thought to consider menopause in workplace wellness strategies.

Imagine how much stronger succession planning and diversity metrics could be if we stopped treating menopause like a taboo and started treating it like what it is: a normal, biological phase of life that requires genuine support, not silence.

What Progressive Workplaces Are Doing Differently?

A few forward-thinking organizations are starting to get it right.

In the UK, the NHS implemented a menopause policy that includes flexible working, access to specialist support, and manager training. Global firms like Vodafone and Deloitte have launched menopause awareness programs, offering everything from wellness webinars to dedicated HR support. These companies understand that women’s health at work is business-critical, not an optional add-on.

It’s not about making menopause the centrepiece of every HR meeting. It’s about acknowledging that workplace wellness for women must evolve to reflect real-life experiences. That includes pregnancy, periods, mental health and yes, menopause.

Making the Boardroom Menopause-Ready

So how do we bring menopause to the boardroom table without turning it into a fleeting campaign or a token gesture?

Start with awareness, but don’t stop there. Move from conversation to infrastructure. This includes:

• Training managers: To recognize symptoms and respond with empathy, not assumptions.
• Creating flexible work options: For women experiencing severe symptoms without penalising their career growth.
• Updating health insurance policies: To include menopause-related treatments and counselling.
• Normalising the conversation: Across all levels, not just among women, but across genders and leadership tiers.

Menopause support isn’t just a women’s issue. It’s a human issue. A business issue. A leadership issue.

A Culture Shift Worth Leading

The workplace of the future is one that supports women through every stage of life, not just when they’re fresh out of university or on a maternity break. If we’re serious about inclusive leadership and sustainable performance, menopause needs to become part of the corporate wellness vocabulary.

It’s time we moved beyond beanbags, Friday yoga, and fruit bowls as markers of “well-being.” Real wellness is structural. It shows up in how policies are written, how performance reviews are conducted, and how leaders listen.

The Double Standard No One Talks About

Here’s something worth pausing on: if men experienced a life phase that affected their cognitive clarity, sleep, emotional regulation, and physical comfort for years, wouldn’t the workplace already have protocols, leave policies, and dedicated wellness programs in place? The absence of systemic support for menopause doesn’t reflect oversight—it reflects historical bias. Women have been conditioned to “just deal with it,” even in environments that claim to champion equity and inclusion. But the tide is shifting. Just as mental health found its way into mainstream corporate wellness, menopause is the next frontier—one that requires courage, not comfort, to address. Normalising menopause isn’t about giving women “special treatment”, it’s about catching up to the reality that’s always been there.

Final Thought: Silence is Costly. Support is Powerful.

The boardroom shapes culture. What is spoken at the top echoes throughout the organisation. So, if we want companies where workplace wellness for women isn’t performative but real—then menopause needs a seat at the table.

Because when we support women through menopause, we don’t just retain talent—we reinforce a culture that values people, not just productivity. And that’s the kind of leadership that lasts.