Menopause at work is an equity issue

Let’s be honest: When we talk about workplace equity, menopause rarely makes the agenda. But it should. This life stage impacts half the workforce, often right when women are at the peak of their careers, influence, and leadership.

As a CEO and advocate for women’s health, I’ve seen firsthand how menopause becomes an invisible career barrier. And now the data backs it up: Ignoring menopause in the workplace isn’t just a health oversight, it’s a systemic equity issue.

According to the latest U.S. Census Bureau data, full-time, year-round working women earn only 81 cents for every dollar earned by men in 2024, a gap that’s actually widening. The year before, women earned almost 83 cents for every dollar. That should stop us in our tracks.

Menopause often coincides with a critical phase in a woman’s career, when experience, insight, and leadership potential are at their highest. But symptoms like brain fog, fatigue, hot flashes, and mood swings can disrupt work and energy levels. The issue isn’t the symptoms, it’s the silence surrounding them.

Women are expected to “power through.” Some do, but for many it turns into what is known as the midcareer cliff. Women begin quietly stepping back, missing promotions, or leaving leadership roles altogether. This isn’t just personal loss, it’s organizational erosion. When experienced women exit, we lose innovation, mentorship, and momentum across the pipeline.

THE BUSINESS IMPERATIVE

Let’s be clear: Supporting women through menopause isn’t a favor. It’s a business imperative. If we want strong, competitive, resilient organizations, we need more women in leadership roles at every age, including midlife and beyond.

Here’s how companies can show up:

1. Make menopause part of the conversation

Start normalizing it, openly, not awkwardly. Include menopause in DEI and wellness conversations just like we do with maternity or mental health. Train managers. Create employee resource groups. Let women share experiences, not suffer in silence.

2. Back words with policy

Talking is great, but action matters. Promote flexible work options, access to hormone therapy or menopause specialists, and comprehensive benefit programs—like what we did recently at Beacon Wellness Brands in partnership with Midi Health. These aren’t perks, they’re proof points.

3. Measure what matters

If you’re not tracking retention and promotion by age and gender, you’re missing the story. Look at your data. If mid-career women are quietly disappearing, menopause might be a hidden factor.

At Beacon Wellness, we believe real equity means meeting women where they are. That includes menopause. When we normalize and support this stage, women can keep leading, innovating, mentoring—and building the future of work.

Equity isn’t a box to check off, it’s something you nurture over decades. And if we’re serious about closing the wage gap, we have to support the years that define a woman’s legacy, not just her entry.

Workplaces that support women ultimately strengthen their entire organization.

Maria Warrington is the CEO of Beacon Wellness Brands.