By 2030, it is estimated that more than 1 billion women worldwide will be affected by menopause or perimenopause. Yet, despite being such a universal experience, 80–90% of people are not taught about menopause in school, and over half don’t feel informed when they enter this stage of life.
Research shows that 63% of women find menopause difficult or very difficult to deal with, and for many, the symptoms impact not only personal health but also professional performance.
As a GP with a special interest in menopause, I regularly support women who feel overwhelmed, burnt out, or misunderstood in the workplace due to their symptoms. This blog post explores what menopause is, how it affects work, what treatments are available, as well as how workplace support can make a difference.
What is Menopause?
Menopause is defined as the point when menstrual periods stop for more than 12 months, typically between ages 45–55. It can also occur earlier due to surgery, cancer treatment, or other medical conditions.
The transition usually begins with perimenopause, which can start up to 10 years before the final period. Symptoms may last more than a decade after menopause, with 80–90% of women experiencing troublesome symptoms and about 25% describing them as severe and debilitating.
During this stage, the ovaries stop producing oestrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. These three hormones play a vital role in maintaining physical, mental, and emotional health.
What Are the Effects of Menopause?
Menopause symptoms can affect nearly every organ system. Below I’ve listed the most common symptoms experienced by individuals going through menopause or perimenopause:
- Psychological symptoms: mood swings, anxiety, depression, panic attacks, irritability.
- Cognitive changes: brain fog, memory lapses, word-finding difficulties, concentration difficulties.
- Sleep difficulties: insomnia, night sweats, daytime fatigue.
- Physical symptoms: hot flushes, joint and muscle pains, dry skin, hair loss, palpitations.
- Urinary symptoms: needing to urinate frequently or urgently, painful urination, incontinence, recurrent UTIs or bladder infections.
- Genital symptoms: vaginal dryness, vulva irritation, low libido, reduced sexual sensation, and painful sex.
Menopause increases your risk of cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, dementia, and complicated UTIs.
Menopause can also worsen pre-existing conditions such as diabetes, arthritis, autoimmune diseases, and mental health conditions, amplifying the challenges women face.
The Impact of Menopause on Work
Studies show:
- 67% of women aged 40–60 report menopause negatively affects their work life.
- 79% report reduced concentration, 61% report loss of motivation, and 52% feel less confident at work.
- Many women experience stigma as well. 56% say menopause is treated as a joke at work, while more than a third feel unable to tell their manager why they missed work.
- Alarmingly, 10% of women have left work due to unmanaged menopause symptoms, while others have faced disciplinary action.
The result: businesses lose experienced employees, and women face unnecessary career disruption which can impact their economic survival.
Should Menopause Be Considered a Disability?
This question is increasingly being debated and is very controversial. If menopause were recognised as a disability under employment law there could be major benefits:
- Employers would be required to make reasonable workplace adjustments.
- Women could access legal protections against discrimination.
- Awareness and structured workplace support could improve.
However, there are concerns that we could be “over-medicalising” a natural stage of life, and perhaps even risk reinforcing sexist or ageist stereotypes about women’s capacity to work.
Treatment Options for Menopause
The good news is that effective treatments exist, and no woman should feel she has to “just deal with it.” You deserve personalised menopause care and treatment.
- Lifestyle changes: balanced diet, regular exercise (especially weight-bearing), reducing alcohol intake and smoking, managing stress, cooling strategies for hot flushes and night sweats.
- Emotional support: therapy, counselling, and connecting with others going through menopause.
- Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): the gold standard treatment for managing symptoms. Despite its effectiveness, only 14% of women currently use HRT. When appropriate, it can be life-changing.
- Non-hormonal options: certain antidepressants, anticonvulsants, and anti-hypertensives can help with symptoms for those who cannot take HRT.
As a GP with significant experience in menopause treatment, I provide personalised hormone therapy, symptom management, and holistic care to help women thrive during this transition.
Recommendations for Workplace Support
Employers can make simple, cost-effective adjustments that significantly improve well-being and productivity in the workplace:
- Menopause awareness training for managers
- Flexible working hours or remote working options
- Relaxed dress codes and breathable fabrics
- Access to fans, air-conditioning, and good ventilation
- More frequent breaks
- Quiet workspaces
- Support groups or mentorship programs
Creating a menopause-friendly workplace not only supports employees but also improves staff retention and productivity.
Menopause Symptom Management Should Be A Priority
Menopause is not just a private health issue – it’s a workplace reality. Left unsupported, women can struggle with burnout, career disruption, and long-term health consequences.
With the right medical care, lifestyle adjustments, and workplace policies, menopause does not need to derail women’s health or careers.
As a GP working in menopause care in Cape Town and via telemedicine, I am passionate about helping women feel informed, supported, and empowered. If you’re struggling with menopause symptoms, whether at home or in the workplace, book a consultation today and take the first step toward feeling like yourself again with personalised menopause care.
References
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- British Menopause Society Tool for Clinicians – 2022
- Peacock K, Carlson K, Ketvertis KM. Menopause. [Updated 2023 Dec 21]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507826/
- O’Neill MT, Jones V, Reid A. Impact of menopausal symptoms on work and careers: a cross-sectional study. Occup Med (Lond). 2023 Sep 29;73(6):332-338. doi: 10.1093/occmed/kqad078. PMID: 37542726; PMCID: PMC10540666.
- Conde DM, Verdade RC, Valadares ALR, Mella LFB, Pedro AO, Costa-Paiva L. Menopause and cognitive impairment: A narrative review of current knowledge. World J Psychiatry. 2021 Aug 19;11(8):412-428. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v11.i8.412. PMID: 34513605; PMCID: PMC8394691.
- Angelou K, Grigoriadis T, Diakosavvas M, Zacharakis D, Athanasiou S. The Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause: An Overview of the Recent Data. Cureus. 2020 Apr 8;12(4):e7586. doi: 10.7759/cureus.7586. PMID: 32399320; PMCID: PMC7212735.
- UK Equality & Human Rights Commission: Menopause in the workplace: Guidance for employers. Last updated: 25 February 2025.
- CIPD. (2023) Menopause in the workplace: Employee experiences in 2023. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
- Fawcett Society report: Menopause and the workplace 2022
- Wales TUC. The menopause: a workplace issue. 2017.
- Zuko Ndzoyiya, Should menopause be considered as disability in terms of the Employment Equity Act? De Rebus June, 2024.
- Taylor S, Callahan B, Grant J, Islam RM, Davis SR. Menopause and work performance: a systematic review of observational studies. Menopause. 2025 Aug 1;32(8):769-778. doi: 10.1097/GME.0000000000002557. PMID: 40460347.
- TUC, Disability and Work, available at https://www.tuc.org.uk/sites/default/files/extras/disabilityandwork.pdf
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