For employees managing menopause at work, the impact of changing hormones is about way more than hot flashes. Symptoms associated are vast and varied — and are a costly workplace distraction as well as a weight on workers’ physical health and well-being.
Lost productivity and healthcare costs for women managing menopause symptoms leads to an annual economic loss of $26.6 billion, according to a study by the Mayo Clinic. The 2023 survey of 4,400 women, aged 45-60, also showed that missed work days due to menopausal symptoms leads to $1.8 billion in lost wages, and has caused more than one in 10 women to cut back on work hours, lose a job or take early retirement. Johns Hopkins Medicine reports the average age of menopause to be 51 — more than a decade before the typical age of retirement.
