Health-related changes: menopause

The value of supporting workers experiencing menopause-related changes 

Women aged 45 years and over are a growing segment of Australia’s workforce; this is also a time when many women experience symptoms associated with menopause. Understanding and recognising this life transition can help support and retain workers with valuable experience, knowledge and skills. 

Menopause can be associated with changes in mood and cognition, increased risk of anxiety and depression, concentration and memory difficulties, insomnia and hot flushes. During this transition, many women at work report feeling less engaged with work and a sense of secrecy and isolation. Many women are also concerned about age-related and gendered discrimination. 

Generally, workers do not have to inform their workplace about their health, unless it will affect their capacity to perform their role or presents a safety risk to the person or their colleagues. However, health-related changes offer opportunities for people and organisations to collaborate to develop effective responses that support workers to remain productive and effective at work. 

What organisations can do to support menopause-related transitions 

Organisations can benefit from supporting workers through this transition to help retain women who may have built a range of expertise, knowledge and skills throughout their career to date.  

Here is how your organisation can support menopause-related transitions: 

• Engage in genuine consultation to identify the needs of those experiencing menopause. 
• Train managers on menopause-related symptoms to create a supportive culture. 
• Encourage all workers to play a role in cultivating a supportive culture of acknowledging menopause as part of life and understanding the impacts of this transition. 
• Appoint a key contact person in the organisation and upskill the human resources team in responding sensitively and providing help and advice. 
• Collaboratively develop strategies to address working conditions that exacerbate menopausal symptoms and at the same time avoid discrimination. 
• Draw on work health and safety expertise to provide risk assessments and develop a plan for reasonable adjustments based on symptoms. 
• Encourage movement beyond the desk. Being active is associated with reduced symptoms. 
• Ensure easy access to reliable information. 
• Increase social connection through workplace support groups and mentoring. 
• Provide access to external support for women who want to maintain their privacy.  
• Embed menopause into existing policies (e.g. flexible work or fatigue management) or list of reasonable adjustments. 
• Remember women’s experience of menopause is very diverse and not all women will need or want workplace support. 
• Be aware of potential workplace discrimination. 

Ask older women in your organisation what you can do to support them during menopause. It shows your organisation recognises their expertise, knowledge and skills. 

What people can do to manage their menopause symptoms at work 

Generally, menopause takes about 4 years, but can last 5–10 years for some. The symptoms can vary: some women experience severe symptoms, while others may experience very few symptoms.  

Here are ways you can navigate some of the symptoms of menopause:  

• Educate yourself about this life transition and the steps to take to help yourself. 
• Adjust diet and nutrition to meet the needs of your changing body, boost energy levels and mitigate perimenopausal fatigue. 
• Increase active movement, such as walking at meal breaks. Exercise can help boost mood, reduce anxiety, promote sleep and help concentration. 
• Take regular energy breaks to help reset energy, focus and mood. 
• Have fans or a water spray available to ease hot flushes. 
• Adopt brain-friendly work styles such as minimising multitasking, and scheduling distraction-free time for important focused work. 
• Keep the lines of communication open with management in requesting flexible work arrangements or other accommodations, if needed. 
• Get advice from health professionals who are knowledgeable about menopause and treatment options for symptoms. 
• Keep perspective by remembering menopause is a temporary life stage, and the benefits of your workplace contribution.

Some simple changes—minimising multitasking, scheduling distraction-free time, having a fan on your desk, taking a regular energy break—can help you manage the symptoms of menopause at work. Staying active and eating well can also help reduce the effects of menopause.