Menopause support could be the key to retaining female talent

More than 9 in 10 women say they would be more likely to stay with their current employer if their midlife health needs were recognised and met, according to a new survey from AI CV-building platform LiveCareer.

The findings, which were gathered in the US, come at a time when there is rising evidence from this side of the Atlantic too that women feel that their health needs are not supported by their employers. 

As we reported in April, women are 63% more likely to feel unsupported at work for health issues than men. They are also more hesitant to ask for sick leave as they are nervous it will impact their career, and are less likely to have private medical insurance as a perk. 

With employees continuing to put their well-being high on their list of wants, this latest report is another call for business owners to think about how their female employees are supported throughout their career, but especially if they suffer during perimenopause.

The menopause is usually managed around work

LiveCareer’s survey of 898 working women found that the overwhelming majority (91%) would stay at a company that properly attends to their midlife health needs – something that women typically address on their own, and without support from within the workplace.

For instance, 58% revealed that they’ve sought therapy or mental health support, while the same percentage reported that they’ve turned to exercise or nutrition changes.

On the other hand, just over half (52%) of the women surveyed said they sought hormone replacement therapy (HRT) or other medication, while 40% take supplements or experiment with alternative medicine. 

By contrast, just under a third (29%) of women going through the menopause turn to their workplace for help and request adjustments to their work hours.

According to the British Menopause Society, 80-90% of women experience some menopausal symptoms, and a third of women could experience symptoms for more than seven years. So understanding and accommodating this is absolutely crucial.

How workplaces can help women

LiveCareer’s survey also reveals the kind of workplace adjustments and policies that make women feel supported.

Flexible schedules top the list, garnering 58% of the responses. This reflects a broader desire for a positive work-life balance, shared by workers regardless of gender, but it’s especially helpful for women managing midlife health issues.

Next on the list was paid leave or mental health days, with 56% of responses, again emphasising how important it is for female workers to feel that their symptoms are recognised. 

Understanding is sorely needed

Along with actual, tangible adjustments, education and understanding are crucial, too. In the survey, manager training on menopause was listed as a priority by 37%. 

This isn’t surprising when you consider that nearly one in four (23%) reported that they feel menopause is still misunderstood and insufficiently addressed in the workplace.

More than half of respondents, at 54%, stated that they would like more women in leadership roles, perhaps hoping that this would bring with it more understanding of their plight and potentially more hope of positive changes to wellbeing policies. 

The flipside of this is that 68% of women say that gender and age affect how seriously their health concerns are taken, and the desire for more women in positions of influence could change this. 

An opportunity for businesses

For businesses able to act agilely on this, boosting their menopause awareness and putting strategies in place for their female staff could mean keeping them for longer. 

With such a large majority of those surveyed stating that this is important to them, it is a clear call to action.  

Karolina Löfqvist is the founder of Hormona and is the Startups 100 Exceptional Founder 2026. She knows only too well the impact that hormone health can have on wellbeing and is also acutely aware of how underestimated this impact can be. 

She shares: “Peri-menopause is not a niche issue; it’s a workplace reality. Many women in their 40s and 50s are at the peak of their careers, often in leadership roles, and yet they are navigating symptoms like brain fog, anxiety, disrupted sleep and heavy periods without structured support.”

Tools like Hormona can give women the insight they need to get help, but businesses of all sizes must support them alongside this. As Löfqvist states: “For SMEs, providing access to tools like Hormona alongside manager education and flexible policies creates meaningful, practical support without requiring large corporate budgets.”

She adds: “We are seeing a growing number of business owners recognising that supporting perimenopause is not simply a wellbeing gesture, it is a strategic investment in retaining experienced women at the peak of their careers.”