Struggling with menopause at work? How to get support

If menopause is leaving you struggling at work, you’re not alone. Hot flushes, poor sleep, brain fog, anxiety, heavy bleeding, or joint pain can make an ordinary working day feel much harder – but they don’t mean you’ve lost your ability or need to give up a job you value.

It’s hardly surprising then that in research we conducted with Britain Thinks three quarters (77%) of the menopausal women interviewed agreed that a woman’s experience of the menopause can negatively impact her performance at work, and nearly 7 in 10 (67%) that it can negatively impact her career.

These figures were similar to a 2023 CIPD survey of more than 2,000 working women aged 40–60, 67% of those who’d experienced menopause symptoms said they’d had a mostly negative effect at work. Seventeen per cent had considered leaving because of a lack of support, and 6% had left.

The right treatment and practical workplace changes can make a real difference. Here’s how to ask for menopause support at work, which adjustments may help, and what you can do if working full time is becoming difficult.

How to get help at work

Check what menopause support your employer offers

Look for a menopause, wellbeing, flexible-working, or sickness-absence policy. You could also speak privately to your manager, HR, occupational health, a menopause champion, or your trade union.

You don’t need to share every detail. It can help to explain which symptoms are affecting your work, what makes them harder to manage, and which changes might help.

You could say:

“I’m experiencing menopause symptoms that are affecting my sleep and concentration. Could we discuss some temporary adjustments and review how they’re working in a few weeks?”

Ask for practical workplace adjustments

The right support will depend on your symptoms and your role. Useful changes might include:

• Flexible start and finish times
• Home or hybrid working where practical
• More frequent breaks or access to a private rest area
• Better ventilation, a desk fan, cold drinking water, or a cooler workspace
• More breathable uniform options
• Written meeting notes, protected focus time, or help prioritising work
• Temporary changes to shifts, deadlines, travel, or workload
• Time to attend medical appointments

Ask for any agreed changes to be put in writing and reviewed regularly, as your symptoms and needs may change.

Know your menopause rights at work

Menopause isn’t a protected characteristic in its own right. However, the Equality Act 2010 protects workers from discrimination, harassment, and victimisation related to protected characteristics including disability, age, and sex.

If menopause or perimenopause symptoms have a substantial, long-term effect on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities, they may meet the legal definition of a disability. If they do, your employer has a duty to consider reasonable adjustments.

Employers also have responsibilities for health, safety, and welfare at work. For current guidance about your situation, visit Acas or speak to your trade union or an employment adviser.

Protect your confidence and career

Brain fog, poor sleep, anxiety, and low mood can knock your confidence, but they don’t erase your skills or experience. If you’re finding particular tasks difficult, think about what would help – perhaps quieter focus time, written follow-ups after meetings, additional training, coaching, or temporary changes to your workload.

Before making a permanent career decision, it may help to explore treatment, workplace support, and practical adjustments. What’s right for you is personal, though, and reducing your hours or changing jobs isn’t a failure.

How to manage menopause symptoms at work

Managing hot flushes at work

Keep a cold drink nearby, wear light layers, and use a desk fan if you can. You could also ask for a cooler workspace, breathable uniform options, or short breaks when symptoms strike.

Sleep, fatigue, and concentration

We all need a good night’s sleep to function properly. If you’ve been tossing and turning all night, just turning up for work is a challenge, never mind doing something constructive when you get there.

Exhaustion, anxiety, lack of confidence, memory problems and poor concentration can all be symptoms of menopause. Working out why you are waking or not dropping off in the first place is key. Start with your pre-bedtime routine. A G&T may feel like the perfect way to unwind but can have quite the opposite effect on your slumber. Switch to a low-alcohol or non-alcoholic option instead. You might be surprised at how little you miss the harder stuff and realise that, actually, it’s more about the ritual of making the drink than what’s in the glass.

If night sweats are keeping you awake, switch to cotton bedding and nightwear. Keep a change of nightie and a towel by the bed and buy some cooling sprays. HRT can help with hot flushes, night sweats, sleep problems, and other menopause symptoms. If symptoms are affecting your work or everyday life, speak to a doctor or menopause specialist about HRT and other options available.

If your poor sleep is due to a frazzled mind, try yoga. Free YouTube classes are a great way to get started. Just a few minutes of meditation a day can also help you keep your head straight. You can read more about sleep issues and how to manage them here.

Food, caffeine, and energy

How often have you knocked back that first latte of the day only to feel shattered a couple of hours later?

Caffeine and alcohol can worsen hot flushes or disturb sleep for some women. Notice whether anything regularly triggers your symptoms, and adjust it if needed. Regular meals, protein, higher-fibre carbohydrates, fruit, vegetables, and plenty of water can also help you maintain your energy during the working day.

Eating plenty of fruit and veg and keeping hydrated will also help you feel energised and, in turn, more positive at work.

Read on for our top 10 nutrition tips here.

CBT and medical support

We all know how good it feels to share a load with a friend. Talking therapies or menopause-specific cognitive behavioural therapy, (CBT), can help with hot flushes, sleep problems, and depressive symptoms associated with menopause. It can be used alongside HRT, as an alternative to it, or as part of a wider treatment plan.

What if you can’t work full time because of menopause?

If full-time hours feel unmanageable, leaving work or permanently reducing your hours aren’t your only options. You could ask about a later start after disrupted sleep, predictable shifts, temporary homeworking, additional breaks, adjusted deadlines, or a phased change to your hours.

Employees have the legal right to request flexible working from their first day in a job, although this is a right to request it rather than an automatic right to have it approved. Before permanently reducing your hours, consider any possible effects on your pay, pension, and other benefits.

Looking for work during menopause or perimenopause?

When you’re job hunting, look for employers that clearly explain their approach to flexible working, wellbeing, occupational health, and menopause support. You can also ask practical questions about working patterns, hybrid options, and workplace facilities without sharing more personal information than you’re comfortable with.

Menopause doesn’t reduce the experience, knowledge, or value you bring to a role.

The important thing is that you ask for help – whether that’s from your employer, your doctor or from a menopause specialist who can help to take the weight off your shoulders. Not only will you feel more comfortable physically, you’ll feel in a better place mentally too and the more we all have the conversation, the better this will be for everyone.

Finally, remember you’re not alone – we are very much in this together.