Menopause and work: Creating an inclusive environment

Menopause marks a significant new chapter in women’s lives, one which is often accompanied by major physical, cognitive and psychological changes. These changes can affect both their personal and professional lives.

That’s why we believe that organizations should take an interest in menopause and what it means for their employees.

To help them in this process, our white paper Menopause and work: Creating an inclusive environment examines these issues and discusses how solutions can be found not only in work accommodations and adaptations, but also in group insurance coverage.

In this document, we take a look at:

• The wide range of effects associated with this natural transition
• The impact of menopause on women’s working lives and on organizations
• How employers can make a positive difference for women going through menopause with supportive workplace policies
• The coverage, services, resources and tools that employers can include in group benefits plans that will truly support women

Concerns for women

The numbers speak for themselves: over one in three Canadian women experience career setbacks due to menopause, and one in ten may leave their job entirely.¹

Already, motherhood and family responsibilities often have professional and financial consequences for women in terms of time and career advancement. In addition to this, the first symptoms of menopause, which often start around age 40, occur at a time when women may want to focus more on their careers.

However, menopause can undermine the ability to work for 44% of women aged 40 to 60, to varying degrees. Among them, 28% cut back their hours or move to part-time roles, and 8% decide not to apply for a promotion.²

We therefore believe it is important for organizations to support women in overcoming these challenges. According to the Menopause Foundation of Canada, almost two million working women in Canada are between the ages of 45 and 55, the age when most women reach menopause.³

And companies, whatever their size or industry, rely heavily on women—who represent almost half of the country’s workforce⁴ —to achieve their goals.

A challenge for organizations

The World Economic Forum estimates that in the UK, the cost of replacing a woman who stops working due to menopause is roughly GB£30,000, or about CAN $55,000⁵. In the U.S., the Mayo Clinic estimates productivity losses from menopause at US$1.8 billion, or about CAN $2.5 billion. On top of that, the additional economic costs to U.S. businesses total nearly CAN $36 billion (US$26 billion).⁶

In Canada, the number of working days lost per year due to menopause amounts to 540,000, while the cost of lost productivity associated with untreated menopausal symptoms totals $237 million.⁷

We also see the consequences for group insurance plans: our claims portfolio at iA Financial Group shows that the use of hormone replacement therapy has increased by 37% from 2021 to 2024. As a result, the number of individuals using it—relative to all the members in iA Financial Group’s group insurance plans—is growing by 11% per year.

We therefore believe that the key to managing these issues lies not only in work accommodations and adaptations, but also in group insurance plan coverage specific to women.

The challenge of inclusivity and equity

When it comes to menopause in the workplace, we feel that there is a crucial obstacle that must be addressed: while menopause is often overlooked or downplayed, it needs to be discussed openly and frankly.

Taboos and stigmatization are commonplace. Four out of five women dealing with menopause symptoms would not feel comfortable discussing them with their company’s human resources department . However, 75% of working women would like their employer to adopt or provide menopause-supportive policies and programs.

As part of this effort, we believe that dialogue is a crucial first step. Talking openly about menopause helps to normalize the topic and demonstrates that the organization cares about this issue and about optimizing the total wellbeing of employees.

We therefore encourage employers to get actively involved in raising awareness among managers and employees: an active commitment to the health and wellbeing of people who devote a significant part of their lives to their organizations helps to retain employees and build loyalty.

Elements that can demonstrate an inclusive organizational culture include:

• Listening and dialogue to create an understanding environment
• Raising awareness and training managers and staff
• Flexible policies that adapt to women’s personal circumstances
• Employee benefits to help manage menopausal symptoms
• Improvements to the working environment

Group insurance steps in to help

Employers seeking to provide more comprehensive support during menopause can do so by leveraging their group insurance plans.

Many of the treatments, services and care options for dealing with menopause can be covered by group insurance plans, depending on the employer’s needs and objectives. Examples include:

• Health navigation platform: Portals in the form of health navigation platforms are go-to sources that give women trustworthy health information, including about menopause.
• Health risk assessment questionnaire: This type of questionnaire helps women assess their level of risk in relation to a number of key health concerns.
• Services for plan members: Group insurance plans can cover a wide range of care, services and resources, depending on employers’ choices or preferences, such as healthcare specialists, telemedicine, the employee and family assistance program and much more.
• Health spending and wellness accounts: To better support women in the workplace, employers can also include health spending accounts (HSAs) and wellness accounts in their group insurance plans.

Listen, learn, understand, act

Meeting the challenge of menopause promotes the total wellbeing of women and of the entire organization by optimizing productivity and inclusivity in the work environment.

To this end, group insurance plans offer services, coverages, resources and tools that can provide real support. We believe that organizations can gain a competitive advantage by offering an inclusive and supportive environment that promotes the retention and loyalty of their female employees.