From brain fog to hot flushes, this is how menopause is affecting women at work – and how we can fix it

Low mood, brain fog, hot flushes, night sweats and difficulty sleeping: these are just some of the symptoms women can experience as they go through perimenopause and the menopause itself.

In fact, menopause research platform Morpheus has identified a whopping 103 physical and emotional ailments that women can suffer from. These symptoms can start as early as your 30s, peaking in your mid-to-late 40s, with menopause itself typically happening around the age of 50 or 51.

Of course, not everyone experiences the same timelines and symptoms or even the same severity. For menopause activist and champion Davina McCall, the onset of perimenopause in her mid-40s was a frightening time.

‘I lost myself. Broken sleep and brain fog, emotional, a bit all over the place, and I was frightened,’ she has said.

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This led McCall to present two well-received documentaries on the menopause, and write a book on the subject, Menopausing. It won Book of the Year at the British Book Awards 2023, signalling the huge swell in interest in women’s health – even as it showcased how little information there has traditionally been for women in mid-life.

Actress Tracee Ellis-Ross can empathise. ‘I’m going through perimenopause at the moment,’ she said last year on the Red Table Talk podcast.

‘It’s really frying my brain. It is really bizarre, but it is the most glorious invitation into a new season and chapter in my life. There’s no information about it. There’s shame talking about it.’

Cognitive fears

Some of the most worrying symptoms for many women are those that relate to their mental capacity.

According to Morpheus’ research, out of the top 10 menopause symptoms, five are related to cognitive health. From brain fog to fatigue and forgetfulness, these issues are some of the most alarming for women.

‘Because many symptoms of perimenopause also occur in dementia, some women worry that they are showing signs of young onset dementia, particularly if they have a family history of dementia,’ says Dementia UK.

And while it can be difficult enough to cope with these symptoms in daily life –forgetting to feed the cat or wash the kids’ sports kits – women in the workplace find contending with cognitive issues like brain fog even tougher.

This is part of the reason why a recent report from Encompass Equality has found that on average, UK women are 38% likely to leave their employer in the next two years. And what is even more worrying is that 49% of Black women say they are likely to quit.

For women in their 50s, the figures are even more stark. Forty-two percent say that menopause symptoms feature in a ‘large’ or ‘very large’ extent in their lives, with 47% of those respondents saying that ‘menopause has a “huge” or “significant” impact on decisions about whether to stay with or leave their employer’.

Menopause and work

Symptoms are frequently discussed by women with their own peers, and have an increasing place in women’s-interest media. A-list celebrity Naomi Watts has even launched her own age-appropriate beauty line, Stripes, for example, further bolstering visibility and acceptance.

But at work, women are far more inclined to hold back, fearing the perceived stigma of the menopause. A 2023 study from law firm Lime Solicitors found that 44% of women with menopause symptoms will ‘suffer in silence’ at work, due to fears it could negatively impact their career.

That causes a series of knock-on effects, with 39% too embarrassed to talk about the topic at work, and 48% preferring to lie about their reasons for taking a sick day.

Deloitte’s most recent Women@Work 2024 report found that 39% of women who experience pain or discomfort due to menopause say they work through it. Worryingly, this is nearly double the percentage of women who said this in 2023.

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So what is the solution? The key appears to lie in proper workplace support. Lime Solicitors’ research discovered that 60% of respondents think their workplace should offer more menopause support, but only 29% feel comfortable asking for adjustments that can help.

A supportive line manager, company-wide menopause policies and education and awareness are vital for women going through perimenopause and menopause. While Ministers rejected a proposal from MPs to introduce menopause leave pilots in England last year, companies are stepping up.

Royal Mail has launched a menopause policy, formed a menopause taskforce, and created a Let’s Talk Menopause campaign for staff. At drinks company Diageo, Thriving Through Menopause guidelines have been introduced, and in 2022, Tesco pledged to change its uniform to incorporate a breathable fabric to help with hot flushes. As the saying goes, every little helps.

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