Menopause research already provides strong evidence for employers to take action.

There’s a lot of noise around menopause at work. New reports, new resources, new headlines and new opinions can make employers feel as though the subject is constantly starting again.

But the evidence has not appeared overnight. It has been building for years.

And one of the clearest messages from Professor Carol Atkinson, Professor of Human Resource Management at Manchester Metropolitan University Business School, is this: the research base is already strong enough for employers to act now.

There is always more to learn. There are still gaps in the evidence, particularly around intersectionality, SMEs, lower-paid roles and longitudinal data. But we are well beyond the point where employers need to ask whether menopause matters at work.

It does.

The more important question is whether employers are ready to turn evidence into action.

Menopause Friendly has always been evidence-based

At Menopause Friendly, this matters hugely to us.

For over a decade, our work with employers has been grounded in evidence, lived experience and practical workplace application. We have never believed that awareness alone is enough, or that employers should rely on one-off campaigns, generic toolkits or good intentions.

From the beginning, the Menopause Friendly programme has been built around what works in real workplaces: culture, policies and practices, training, engagement and the working environment.

That evidence-based approach is why our membership, training and accreditation are trusted by employers across sectors and why Menopause Friendly Accreditation is independently assessed by an expert panel.

It is also why we continue to invest in keeping the evidence current.

Last year, with Professor Jo Brewis, we brought the evidence base right up to date through a major review of menopause at work research. That review analysed 132 publications, including peer-reviewed studies, government and parliamentary reports and high-quality grey literature. It confirmed what many employers and employees have known from experience, while strengthening the research base around what employers can do to make a real difference.

So when we say employers should act, we are not saying it because it is fashionable.

We are saying it because the evidence is there.

The research tells a clear story

Professor Atkinson’s presentation for Westminster Insights brought together some of the most important findings for employers.

The scale of the issue is significant. As highlighted by the CIPD’s research last year, the UK has the largest female health gap in the G20 and poor support for women’s health is estimated to cost the UK economy around £11 billion each year through absenteeism and lost productivity. Menopause alone is estimated to cost the UK economy £1.5 billion annually.

Behind those numbers are real people: experienced, skilled employees who may be managing symptoms while continuing to work, reducing hours, stepping back from opportunities or leaving work altogether.

Around three in four women aged 40 to 60 experience menopause symptoms. More than two-thirds say the impact at work is negative.

That impact can affect attendance, concentration, confidence, performance, mental health, visibility and progression. For employers, this is not a niche wellbeing issue. It is a workforce issue, a retention issue and a gender equality issue.

Awareness is not the same as action

Awareness has grown, and that is a good thing.

More people are talking about menopause. More employers recognise that it can affect working life. More managers are beginning to understand that support matters.

But awareness alone does not change lived experience.

It does not help a manager respond well when someone asks for support. It does not make a uniform more comfortable. It does not improve ventilation, review absence triggers, build confidence, create psychological safety or keep someone in work.

That is why evidence-based action matters.

Employers need to move beyond knowing menopause matters and ask: what are we actually doing about it?

The evidence has deepened since 2017

In 2017, the Government Equalities Office commissioned a landmark review into menopause at work, led by Professor Jo Brewis. It helped shift the national conversation and gave employers a clearer understanding of how menopause symptoms could affect working lives.

Since then, the research has developed significantly.

The updated review we commissioned with Professor Brewis brought that evidence right up to date. It showed a stronger focus on inclusion and intersectionality, including how menopause may be experienced differently by people from different ethnic backgrounds, disabled people, neurodivergent people and trans and non-binary people who experience menopause.

It also showed a stronger focus on bidirectionality. In plain English, this means recognising that symptoms can affect work, but work can also affect symptoms.

Temperature, ventilation, workwear, PPE, access to toilets, stress, deadlines, lack of autonomy, fixed hours and unpredictable shifts can all influence how menopause is experienced at work.

That is why menopause support cannot sit in a policy alone. It has to connect with the reality of people’s jobs.

Workplaces can make symptoms harder or easier to manage

This is one of the most important messages for employers.

Menopause is not experienced in a vacuum. The workplace can make symptoms harder to manage, or it can make them easier.

A hot, poorly ventilated environment may worsen hot flushes. Heavy synthetic uniforms or PPE may make symptoms more difficult. Rigid shift patterns may be harder for someone struggling with sleep. Lack of toilet access may affect someone experiencing heavy bleeding. High stress and low autonomy can make symptoms feel more difficult to cope with.

These are not abstract points. They are everyday workplace issues.

And many of the solutions are practical, low cost and achievable when employers listen properly.

There is stronger evidence on retention

One of the most significant developments in the evidence base is the growth in longitudinal data.

This shows a strong correlation between problematic menopause symptoms and people reducing hours or leaving work altogether.

That matters because menopause often comes at a critical career stage. Many people experiencing menopause are highly skilled, experienced and holding significant organisational knowledge. They may be managers, specialists, senior leaders, mentors and decision-makers.

If they leave because support is missing, that is not only a personal loss. It is a business loss.

Recruitment, retention, succession planning, gender pay gaps and leadership pipelines are all affected when experienced people feel they cannot stay and thrive.

Disclosure is still difficult

Despite progress, many people still do not feel able to talk about menopause at work.

Some worry they will be judged. Some fear it will affect career prospects. Some do not trust that their manager will respond well. Some may not recognise that what they are experiencing is connected to perimenopause or menopause.

This is why silence should never be mistaken for absence of need.

If nobody is talking about menopause in your workplace, it does not mean nobody is experiencing symptoms. It may mean the culture does not yet feel safe enough.

That is why good support needs to be visible, trusted and normalised.

What the evidence says works

The research does not just tell us there is a problem. It also tells us what helps.

Clear policies or guidance make a difference when they are accessible, practical and used. They should set out what support is available, who to speak to and how adjustments can be made.

Manager training is essential. Most managers want to do the right thing, but many worry about saying the wrong thing. Training gives them confidence, clarity and practical tools.

Workforce awareness helps change culture. Menopause should not be something only discussed by those experiencing symptoms. Everyone benefits from better understanding.

Practical workplace adjustments matter. These might include temperature control, breathable uniforms, flexibility, rest breaks, access to toilets, changes to shift patterns or support with workload.

Support groups, champions and peer networks can also help people feel less alone and create safer routes into conversation.

And above all, employers need to listen to their own people.

The right support in a factory, hospital, university, call centre, retailer or law firm may look very different. Evidence gives us the foundations, but employee voice helps employers apply it well.

This is exactly what Menopause Friendly has been doing

This is where the Menopause Friendly approach is so important.

For more than a decade, we have helped employers move from awareness to action in a structured, evidence-based way.

Our programme is not about a single resource or a one-off campaign. It is a tried, tested and trusted framework that helps organisations embed support across culture, training, engagement, policies and the working environment.

That matters because menopause support only works when it is joined up.

A policy will not make a difference if nobody knows it exists.
A manager cannot support someone well if they have not been trained.
A support group will not solve problems if the working environment is making symptoms worse.
An awareness session will not change culture if leaders do not take action.

This is why Menopause Friendly Accreditation looks at the whole organisation. It recognises employers who are making meaningful, measurable change, assessed independently against clear standards.

The evidence is enough. Now it is about implementation.

There will always be more research. That is a good thing.

We need to keep learning more about different experiences of menopause, especially across diverse workforces, smaller employers, lower-paid roles and different sectors.

But employers should not use the need for more research as a reason to delay.

The evidence already tells us menopause can affect work. It tells us work can affect menopause. It tells us lack of support can affect retention, confidence and progression. It tells us manager training, policy, guidance, workplace adjustments, occupational health, support groups and culture change can make a difference.

That is enough to act.

Menopause Action Plans make this even more urgent

The direction of travel is clear.

Gender Equality Action Plans, including actions to support employees experiencing menopause, are moving employers from awareness into accountability.

Larger employers will need to show what they are doing, why they are doing it and how that action supports equality of opportunity.

That means evidence matters even more.

Employers need to be able to show that their actions are not random, reactive or copied from elsewhere. They need to be relevant to the organisation, shaped by employee voice and linked to what the evidence says works.

This is exactly where Menopause Friendly members are already ahead. They are working through a structured, evidence-based programme that helps them understand their workforce, build capability, review policies, strengthen culture and create support that people can actually use.

The best employers are already moving

The best employers are not waiting for deadlines.

They are making menopause visible all year round. They are training managers. They are reviewing policies and processes. They are looking at the working environment. They are listening to lived experience. They are creating safe spaces without forcing disclosure. They are tracking progress and strengthening support over time.

They understand that this is not about ticking a box.

It is about keeping experienced people in work.
It is about closing gaps in confidence, progression and opportunity.
It is about making support real.
It is about doing what the evidence has been telling us for years.

The message for employers is clear

Menopause at work is not new.

The evidence is not new.

And the solution is not to wait for the next headline.

The evidence is already strong enough to act. What employers need now is the confidence, structure and support to do it well.

That is what Menopause Friendly has been helping organisations do for over a decade: turning research, standards and lived experience into practical workplace change.

Because being menopause friendly is not about saying the right thing.

It is about doing the right thing and being able to show the difference it makes.