Beyond the Menopause Mandate: Why Women’s Health in the Workplace Needs a Lifespan Approach

The conversation around women’s health in the workplace has changed significantly in recent years. Menopause has moved from being a relatively overlooked issue to an increasingly important workplace health, equality and retention priority. Policy and professional standards are also beginning to reflect this shift, with further requirements around gender equality and menopause support expected to develop over the coming years.

This is welcome progress, but there is a risk that we make the same mistake in a different way: treating women’s health as synonymous with menopause. Women’s health at work is much broader. Menstrual and gynaecological health, fertility, pregnancy and pregnancy loss, postpartum recovery, mental health, cognitive health and menopause can all influence how someone experiences work across their career.

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For employers, the challenge is therefore not simply how to "support menopause". It is how to build a workplace environment where women's health is recognised, understood and supported throughout the working life.

Women’s health is a workplace issue, not just a clinical issue

Health conditions do not disappear when someone walks into the workplace.

Pain, fatigue, sleep disruption, hormonal changes, anxiety, cognitive difficulties and reproductive health challenges can all affect concentration, confidence, attendance and participation at work.

Yet many workplace health strategies remain focused on individual sickness absence rather than the underlying health and organisational factors contributing to it.

This can be particularly problematic for women because several health issues can overlap or accumulate over time.

Someone may experience severe menstrual symptoms in their twenties, fertility challenges later in their career, pregnancy or postpartum difficulties, and eventually perimenopause and menopause. These are not necessarily isolated events. They can influence someone's working life over many years.

A more effective approach therefore needs to look beyond individual conditions and consider the whole employee lifecycle.

The goal should not be to create a separate workplace policy for every health condition. It should be to create a workplace where people can access appropriate information, support and flexibility when health affects their ability to work.

Menopause is only one part of the picture

Menopause remains a significant workplace issue. Perimenopause and menopause can involve physical symptoms such as hot flushes and fatigue alongside psychological and cognitive experiences including anxiety, low mood, sleep disruption and difficulties with concentration or memory.

The impact can be substantial, particularly when symptoms interact with demanding workloads, caring responsibilities or limited manager support. Research from the Fawcett Society found that one in ten employed women surveyed had left a job because of menopause symptoms. However, this figure needs to be interpreted carefully because the survey focused on a specific group of women who self-identified as experiencing symptoms and therefore cannot necessarily be generalised to all women of menopausal age.

The important point is not a single statistic. It's that unmanaged health problems can contribute to reduced working hours, career disruption, reduced progression and people leaving organisations. Employers don't need to provide clinical treatment. They can, however, create the conditions that make it easier for employees to seek appropriate help, access occupational health where necessary, discuss reasonable adjustments and manage symptoms alongside work.

Want to understand where your organisation currently stands?

HercuWise's workplace health approach can help organisations identify practical opportunities to improve health literacy, early support and prevention across the employee lifecycle.

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What about menstrual and gynaecological health?

Menstrual health is still frequently missing from workplace wellbeing strategies.

Conditions such as heavy menstrual bleeding, endometriosis and fibroids can have significant physical and occupational consequences.

The NHS Confederation, CREATE Health Foundation and London Economics estimated that menstrual and gynaecological health conditions contribute to almost £11 billion in annual costs to the UK economy through sickness absence alone. Heavy menstrual bleeding affects a substantial proportion of women of reproductive age and is an important contributor to iron deficiency. Iron deficiency can affect energy, concentration and cognitive functioning, including when someone does not have anaemia.

Endometriosis is another example of a condition that can have a long-term impact on working life. Endometriosis UK estimates that around 1.5 million women in the UK are affected. Chronic pain, fatigue and heavy bleeding can all make working more difficult, while delays in diagnosis can mean people spend years managing symptoms without an explanation or appropriate support.

From an employer perspective, the solution is not to become experts in diagnosing these conditions. It's to make sure employees have access to health information, supportive conversations, appropriate signposting and practical workplace adjustments where required.

Fertility, pregnancy and postpartum health matter too

Women’s health at work also includes reproductive health. Fertility treatment, pregnancy loss, pregnancy complications and postpartum recovery can all have substantial physical and emotional consequences. Importantly, these experiences frequently occur while people are working.

Research cited in the original article found that more than 3.5 million people in the UK are affected by fertility problems, with most of those affected being in employment. More than a third had considered leaving their job as a result of fertility problems.

Pregnancy and the postnatal period can also involve significant mental health challenges. Around one in four women experience a mental health problem during pregnancy or within the first year after giving birth.

For employers, this reinforces an important principle that women’s health should not be treated as a series of isolated HR events.

Menstrual health, fertility, pregnancy, postpartum recovery and menopause form part of a much broader continuum of health across working life. That doesn't mean employers need an ever-growing collection of policies, it means organisations need a consistent framework for responding to health-related needs with empathy, flexibility, good information and appropriate professional support.

Mental health and cognitive health should not be overlooked

Another important part of the conversation is the relationship between women's health, mental health and cognitive health. These concepts overlap, but they are not identical.

Mental health relates to psychological and emotional wellbeing, while cognitive health includes functions such as attention, memory, executive functioning and mental clarity.

Cognitive symptoms can be particularly relevant in discussions around perimenopause and menopause, but they are not exclusive to this life stage.

Similar experiences can occur alongside pregnancy, postpartum recovery, chronic stress, poor sleep, long COVID and neurodivergence. Research involving more than 25,000 adults found that 28% reported experiencing brain fog, with women reporting it more frequently than men.

For employers, this creates an important opportunity. Rather than waiting until someone reaches crisis point or experiences prolonged absence, organisations can build health literacy and early intervention into their workplace health strategy. That could include education around sleep, physical activity, nutrition, stress management, mental health and cognitive health, alongside clear routes to occupational health or other appropriate professional support.

Prevention starts before someone reaches crisis point

One of the biggest opportunities for employers is to shift from a predominantly reactive model towards prevention. This doesn't mean assuming that lifestyle changes can solve every health problem. It means recognising that modifiable factors such as sleep, physical activity, nutrition, stress and working conditions can influence wellbeing and may form part of a broader strategy for supporting employees.

Organisational factors matter too. High workloads, understaffing, poor psychological safety and inadequate manager support can contribute to stress and burnout. Telling employees to "look after themselves" while leaving the underlying working conditions unchanged is unlikely to produce meaningful improvement.

Prevention therefore needs to operate at two levels:

• supporting individuals with accessible, evidence-based health education

• addressing organisational factors that can contribute to poor health and wellbeing

This is where workplace health education can play a valuable role.

HercuWise provides evidence-based digital workplace health education designed to make prevention practical and accessible.

Our courses are self-paced and developed with registered health professionals, covering areas including mental health, stress, physical health, nutrition, sleep, behaviour change and women's health.

Explore the free HercuWise demo to see how this could work for your workforce.

Five practical steps employers can take

You don't need to become a specialist women's health organisation to improve support.

There are several practical starting points.

1. Build manager confidence

Managers are increasingly expected to have sensitive conversations about health, but many have received little training to prepare them. Good manager education should help people recognise when a health issue may be affecting work, respond appropriately, avoid making assumptions and know when to signpost or refer. The aim is not to turn managers into healthcare professionals, It's to help them become confident first points of contact.

2. Improve workplace health literacy

Employees cannot seek appropriate support if they do not understand what they are experiencing or where to go for help. Evidence-based workplace education can reduce stigma, improve awareness and encourage earlier help-seeking. This is particularly valuable for conditions that people may be reluctant to discuss, including menstrual health, fertility problems, pregnancy loss and menopause.

3. Look beyond absence data

A health issue doesn't have to result in sickness absence to affect someone's working life, it may influence performance, confidence, working hours, career progression or decisions about whether to remain in an organisation. HR teams should therefore consider whether their recruitment, performance management and promotion processes could unintentionally disadvantage people experiencing health challenges.

4. Embed prevention into workplace health

Sleep, physical activity, nutrition, stress management and flexible working can all form part of a broader preventive health strategy. But prevention should sit alongside, rather than replace, appropriate clinical and occupational health support.

5. Create clear support pathways

Employees and managers need to know what happens when a health issue becomes significant. Clear occupational health referral pathways, appropriate signposting and practical guidance can make it easier to move from an initial workplace conversation to appropriate professional support. Standards such as BS 30416:2023, which addresses menstruation, menstrual health and menopause in the workplace, can provide a useful framework for organisations developing their approach.

From menopause policy to a women’s health strategy

The growing focus on menopause is positive. But the next step is to think bigger.

A genuinely inclusive workplace health strategy should recognise that women's health can influence working life at many different stages and that different experiences can overlap, it should also recognise that health is not simply an individual responsibility.

Workload, flexibility, psychological safety, management quality, workplace culture and access to support can all influence whether someone is able to remain healthy and productive at work. For employers, this creates a compelling case for moving beyond compliance towards prevention, health literacy and early intervention.

The question is no longer simply:

"What are we doing about menopause?"It's "How are we supporting women's health across the working life?" That shift can help organisations move from isolated initiatives towards a more coherent workplace health strategy, supporting wellbeing, retention and sustainable participation at work.

How HercuWise supports women's health and early intervention

HercuWise helps organisations turn evidence into practical workplace health education.

Our flexible digital courses give employees access to trusted health information in a format that works across different working environments, including remote, hybrid, shift-based and hard-to-reach teams.

Our workplace health programme covers key areas including mental health, stress, physical health, nutrition, sleep, behaviour change and women's health, helping organisations build health literacy rather than relying solely on reactive support.

Our pilot data found that 9/10 users rated the courses as useful, more than 80% reported high engagement, and 90% would recommend the courses to colleagues.

If you want to see how the platform works, try our free workplace health course demo.

Alternatively, book a free, no-obligation strategy call and we can explore how evidence-based workplace health education could support your organisation.

Frequently asked questions

Does workplace women's health only mean menopause?

No. Women's health at work encompasses a much wider range of issues, including menstrual and gynaecological health, fertility, pregnancy, pregnancy loss, postpartum health, mental health, cognitive health and menopause.

Why should employers invest in women's health?

Health issues can affect attendance, productivity, confidence, progression and retention. A preventive approach can also improve health literacy and help employees access appropriate support earlier.

Do managers need to provide women's health advice?

No. Managers need enough knowledge to have appropriate conversations, avoid assumptions, recognise when additional support may be needed and know how to signpost employees to relevant services.

What does good workplace menopause support look like?

It can include manager education, employee health literacy, appropriate workplace adjustments, flexibility, supportive conversations and clear routes to occupational health or other professional support.

What other women's health issues should employers consider?

Organisations should consider menstrual and gynaecological health, endometriosis, heavy menstrual bleeding, fertility and fertility treatment, pregnancy loss, pregnancy-related complications, postpartum recovery, mental health and cognitive health alongside menopause.

Is women's health a wellbeing issue or a governance issue?

It can be both. The cumulative impact of health across an employee's working life can affect equality, retention, workforce participation and organisational sustainability. For that reason, women's health increasingly deserves consideration within broader organisational and workplace health strategies.

What can a small organisation do if it does not have a dedicated occupational health team?

Start with health literacy, manager training, clear signposting and a supportive approach to workplace adjustments. Smaller organisations can also use external occupational health and specialist services where appropriate.

Sources and further reading

• Alim-Marvasti, A., Ciocca, M., Kuleindiren, N., Lin, A., Selim, H. and Mahmud, M. (2024). Subjective brain fog: a four-dimensional characterization in 25,796 participants. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 18. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2024.1409250

• Benson, G. et al. (2025). Greater prevalence of anaemia and heavy menstrual bleeding reported in women of reproductive age in the United Kingdom compared to Australia. British Journal of Haematology. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjh.20075

• British Standards Institution (2023). BS 30416:2023 Menstruation, menstrual health and menopause in the workplace. Guide.

• Endometriosis UK (2024). Endometriosis facts and figures.

• Fawcett Society (2022). Menopause and the Workplace.

• Fertility Matters at Work (2022). Fertility in the workplace research.

• Fertility Network UK (2021). Fertility and employment survey.

• Menopause Mandate (2025). Research and policy resources.

• Munro, M.G. et al. (2023). Heavy menstrual bleeding, iron deficiency, and iron deficiency anemia: Framing the issue. International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics, 162(S2), pp.3–11. https://doi.org/10.1002/ijgo.14943

• NHS Confederation, CREATE Health Foundation and London Economics (2024). Women’s health economics: Investing in the 51 per cent.

• Paull, G. (2025). The problem of addressing menopause in the workplace without rigorous evidence. LSE Business Review.

• Wilkinson, K., Mumford, C. & Carroll, M. (2022). Complex Fertility Journeys and Employment.

About the contributors

This article has been adapted and substantially rewritten for HercuWise from collaborative work originally authored by Dr Suzanne Barr, Dr Krystal Wilkinson, Naomi Glover and Mel Islin.

Dr Suzanne Barr MEd RD is a preventive health specialist, Registered Dietitian and Director of HercuWise. Her academic and clinical background spans women's health, prevention, nutrition and workplace health, including doctoral research and postdoctoral work focused on women's health and lifestyle interventions. She is also a Visiting Senior Research Fellow at King's College London.

Dr Krystal Wilkinson is an Associate Professor in Human Resource Management at Manchester Metropolitan University and a Chartered Member of the CIPD. Her research focuses on work-life interface, health and wellbeing at work, inequalities, women's reproductive health, maternity management, fertility journeys and perinatal mental health.

Naomi Glover MSc FRSPH is a workplace cognitive health specialist and applied neuroscientist with extensive experience across organisational leadership, learning and development and workplace wellbeing. She is Director of Neuro-Informed Ltd and Director of the UK Brain Health Foundation CIC.

Mel Islin is Membership Manager at Wellbeing of Women, where she leads strategic and operational delivery of the Employer Membership Programme. Her work focuses on developing organisational partnerships to improve women's health in the workplace.

Disclaimers: This document uses the term “women” to refer to individuals affected by the menstrual, gynaecological, and reproductive health issues discussed, including menstruation, endometriosis, fertility treatment, pregnancy, and menopause. We recognise that language in this area is evolving and, in some contexts, contested. Following the UK Supreme Court’s ruling in For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers [2025] UKSC 16, the terms “man,” “woman,” and “sex” in the Equality Act 2010 refer to biological sex, though further statutory guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission is still pending at the time of writing. This document focuses on health conditions linked to biological sex characteristics and is not intended to make a wider statement on gender identity. Organisations should seek their own legal advice on how this guidance applies to their specific policies.

This article is intended for workplace health education and does not constitute individual medical, occupational health or legal advice. Organisations should seek appropriate professional advice when developing policies, adjustments or support pathways.