How to get support for menopause at work

Despite menopause affecting 17% of the current workforce, people rarely feel comfortable enough to talk about it openly at work. Struggling through the symptoms of menopause can significantly impact your health and can have flow-on effects to your work life.  

"Menopause is a normal life stage for anyone born with ovaries, yet most of us don't know anything about it," says Grace Molloy, Co-Founder and CEO of Menopause Friendly Australia. "Most people don't know what menopause is and how it impacts women, not only at work but in their general lives."  

What are perimenopause and menopause?  

Perimenopause is the lead up to menopause and is when hormone levels start to change, usually in the late 30’s or early 40’s and can last up to 10 years.  

Menopause officially begins one year after periods stop. This marks the 'day-one' menopause date, however, hormones can continue changing for many years afterwards.  

"Think about menopause as a transition - it can go for up to 15 to 20 years and can impact people's careers in a meaningful way across that time," says Molloy.  

Working through menopause is now the norm   

It is much more common now for women experiencing menopausal symptoms to also be working - today, 76% of women aged 50 are still working compared to only 47% in 1980. Additionally, SEEK research has revealed that 43% of menopausal women have experienced peri-menopausal/menopausal symptoms including tiredness (73%), hot flushes (67%), poor memory (49%), anxiousness (49%), and mood changes (48%).  

The mental health effects of menopause aren't as well known as physical symptoms like hot flushes, but are almost as common, says Justine Alter, organisational psychologist and Director at Transitioning Well. "During perimenopause, many women experience changes in mood and cognition, including an increased risk of anxiety and depression, and difficulties with concentration and memory."  

Sleep problems, which are common during menopause, make these issues worse. "Women with more frequent and intense symptoms tend to feel less engaged and satisfied with their work," Alter adds.  

SEEK research reveals that many women (45%) say menopause has negatively impacted their performance at work, and almost one in four (24%) have symptoms that have caused them to take time off.  

Many feel stigma around discussing menopause at work  

SEEK research reveals 73% of women haven’t talked about menopause at work, with 65% saying they didn’t feel comfortable discussing it. "Despite the very real symptoms, transitioning to menopause is a 'silent issue' – many women don’t know what to expect, and it is rarely discussed," says Alter. This can happen due to a lack of obvious support at work, general stigma and resulting fear of discrimination.  

Molloy says many women “fear that taboo or stigma will mean that they'll be seen as unproductive or not able to do their job”. 

Tips for seeking support at work  

It’s very normal to feel apprehensive about talking about menopausal symptoms. However, if you feel they’re preventing you from achieving your professional goals, or impacting your day-to-day work, there are some simple steps you can take to get support at work.  

1. Check your company's policies 

First, find out if support already exists. Check policy documents or contact your HR team to learn if your organisation has a menopause policy or offers other supports. Sometimes these exist but aren't widely known, or are part of broader women's health policies.  

Organisations may also have Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) for help with the emotional and psychological impacts of menopausal symptoms.  

2. Talk about what will help you  

When talking about menopause at work, try to be clear about what will help with your symptoms, says Molloy. "Tracking your symptoms and understanding those better yourself is the first step to identifying what the real barrier is for you in the workplace."  

Helpful accommodations might include:  

• Additional personal leave 
• Working from home  
• Flexible work arrangements  
• Mental health support  
• Working environment adjustments (like fans or natural light)  
• Open conversations to remove stigma  
• Allowing frequent breaks  
• Access to quiet spaces  

3. Don't be scared to have a chat 

It's worth talking to your manager or trusted colleagues even if you don't need specific supports. "For some women, it's just about knowing that someone at work understands what you're going through," says Molloy.  

"Some people may not actually have anything that they are requesting, but simply want someone at work to know," she advises. "This brings context to something they might not have talked about before."  

4. Seek support from health professionals  

It often helps to seek out support for symptoms from health professionals, such as your GP. "Don't put up with the symptoms and think that you have to struggle through them," says Molloy. "There are great supports available for things like sleep disruption, hot flushes and mood changes."  

Additional resources  

For more information on managing menopause at work, you can start with this factsheet, Beyond Blue, and Menopause Friendly Australia.  

NOTE: While this article references women, SEEK acknowledges that menopause may also be experienced by gender-diverse and trans people. The advice in this article is intended to support anyone challenged with menopausal symptoms in the workplace. 

Source: Independent research conducted by Nature on behalf of SEEK, interviewing 12,000 Australians annually. Published May 2025.