- Key insight: Learn how integrated family-health platforms consolidate menopause, fertility and parenting support.
- What's at stake: Talent retention and leadership pipelines risk erosion without workplace menopause supports.
- Supporting data: $1.8B lost in 2023 from menopause-related work disruptions (Mayo Clinic)
- Source: Bullets generated by AI with editorial review
This is the third piece in a series about menopause support in the workplace. Read part one
Lost work time due to menopause-related symptoms, such as sleep loss, hot flashes and brain fog, cost organizations $1.8 billion in 2023, according to the Mayo Clinic. These issues are also causing women's careers to suffer, forcing many to reduce hours,
It's both a health and a work issue, and has long been under-represented on both fronts, says Pinterest chief people officer Doniel Sutton, who is on a mission to reverse this trend. By initiating conversations about menopause and bringing in tailored programs and provider expertise from family-building and health platform Maven Clinic in January, Sutton is creating an empathetic culture that can help Pinterest's employees manage this major life change.
"When employers lead, it sends a powerful message: This is a normal life stage, you're not alone in it, and your health doesn't have to be at odds with your career. That's the kind of environment we want to build at Pinterest," she says.
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The power of a single-point solution
Sutton made the decision to switch from multiple platforms for women's health to Maven due to its consolidated group of family and women's health support programs, including fertility, family planning, parenting and menopause. These life stages often overlap, says Maven CEO Kate Ryder, so it's very important that associated care isn't siloed.
"You can be in perimenopause with children while trying to get pregnant," she says. "When you are going through a journey with such complexity and layers to it, [it helps to have] a care-led platform to catch you in those moments where you're overwhelmed, or things are falling through the cracks."
Maven's clinicians and care team are highly trained in their fields, but also go through a vetting process to ensure they possess what Ryder refers to as a good "webside manner," i.e. modeling a patient-led, empathetic approach. Sutton says the goal is to promote satisfaction and engagement from employees, building lasting trust.
"How benefits are experienced is just as important as what's technically 'covered,'" she explains. "When employees are navigating fertility, family-building, parenting, or menopause, they're often doing so in moments that are already stressful and time-sensitive. The decision [to switch to Maven] was about reducing complexity and fragmentation, so we can offer support that feels coherent, accessible and truly centered on people's real lives."
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Keeping women in the workplace
Women in the workforce who are hitting perimenopause and menopause are too valuable to go unsupported, and getting expert help to identify the lifestyle change, medication or treatment that reduces or eliminates symptoms can make all the difference, Ryder says.
"Women in their 40s and 50s are at the height of their career, they're some of your most important managers, and they're going through something where there's [little] in the brick and mortar system that will help them," she says. "Only about 8% of OBGYNs say they have menopause training from medical school. What we hear all the time is women go to their doctor and they're turned away, or they're told [in regard to] their symptoms, just grin and bear it."
Sutton understands this after dealing with symptoms herself, and feedback from fellow employees solidified the need to create change.
"For many, menopause coincides with peak responsibility years: They're leading teams, driving critical work, and often juggling significant caregiving outside of work," she says. "If we ignore menopause in the workplace, we're effectively asking people to manage meaningful health changes in silence, and that has consequences for equity, retention, and leadership pipelines."
Along with bringing in Maven, the company offers schedule flexibility, trains its managers to accommodate health needs, and has an employee resource group for women and allies which offers a safe space for conversation and surfaces any gaps in support, Sutton says.
"Maven sits within that broader environment as a specialized resource: It gives employees access to expert clinical care and personalized guidance, while our culture, policies, and leaders reinforce that it's not only acceptable, but expected, to prioritize your health," she says.
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By making menopause a clear company priority, Pinterest is demonstrating its appreciation for the health and wellness and the talent value of its employees, Sutton says.
"Menopause isn't just a personal health milestone — it's a workforce issue, and employers have a real influence on whether people feel they can stay and thrive in their careers during this stage," she says. "Prioritizing menopause support is one way we're closing a long-standing gap and sending a clear signal: You shouldn't have to choose between your health and your career at Pinterest."
