Research: Menopause in the workplace

This research explores women’s experiences of menopause transition in the workplace.

We have conducted research in various settings, including the police service and the National Health Service (NHS), and provided reports to employers to help them understand how to support women in menopause transition.

As the population ages, so increasing numbers of women are working at an older age and through menopause transition.

While every woman’s experience is different, many will have symptoms that are bothersome, causing difficulty in the workplace and even leading some to leave employment.

Employers can ill afford to lose the skills and experience of these women, and it is both socially and financially disadvantageous for women to have to stop working.

Helping employers to understand how to support women in transition and retain them in employment is important.

How are we doing it?

We have run studies that use surveys to generate both statistical and qualitative evidence. These reflect the perceptions of women in menopause transition and, in our latest study, of the managers who work to support them.

Our research has been effective in changing organisational practice and improving women’s workplace experiences.

Research outputs

• Atkinson, C, Carmichael, F and Duberley, J (2020) The menopause taboo at work: examining women’s embodied experiences of menopause in the UK Police Service  Volume 35, Issue 4