Menopause shouldn’t be a taboo, and everyone should feel they can have a conversation with their line manager, especially when they need guidance and advice. But how confident do you think a member of your team would feel to talk to you about the menopause? Research from Bupa has shown that almost a million women have left their job because of menopausal symptoms while CIPD research shows that around one in six people (17%) have considered leaving work due to a lack of support in relation to their menopause symptoms.

Often a few simple changes to the working environment can make a world of difference – even just talking about the menopause openly can reduce the impact of some symptoms and enable people to continue performing well in their roles. Line managers play a vital role in supporting colleagues with menopausal symptoms and this guide will help you to:  

  • be confident about your role in managing and supporting colleagues with menopausal symptoms  

  • understand and reduce the barriers that could potentially prevent a colleague going through the menopause transition from performing and/or developing to their full potential  

  • identify appropriate workplace changes or adjustments to support team members and help them thrive at work  

  • foster an inclusive working environment in which everyone is treated fairly. 

Please note
While we predominantly talk about women in relation to the menopause in this guidance, we also recognise that it can impact some transgender and non-binary people who will require support and flexibility relevant to their needs.

Member tool: CIPD Buddy BETA
Experiment with AI to find answers on this topic with our prototype. Login to explore CIPD Buddy
  This guide has been produced in partnership with Bupa

Helping you retain valuable talent by supporting women through menopause

What every manager needs to know about the menopause 

How can I help if someone is going through the menopause?

It’s good to talk about the menopause

Carrying out risk assessments and making appropriate adjustments

How can I manage proactively and positively if someone’s performance is affected by the menopause?

More on this topic

Employment law
Menopause: UK employment law

UK legal position on menopause and perimenopause in the workplace

For Members
Thought leadership
Keeping the spotlight on menopause-friendly workplaces

Claire McCartney and Rachel Suff provide an overview of the CIPD’s continuing work on the menopause and discuss why it is important to keep this issue in the public eye

Webinar
Creating menopause supportive workplaces

Explore how to create a menopause friendly work environment and empower employees to continue to work and thrive whilst experiencing menopause transition

Latest guides

Image showing people in office
Guide
Supporting transgender and non-binary people at work: Guide for people professionals

How to support transgender and non-binary people at work, as part of a broader equality, diversity and inclusion policy

For Members
Guide
Sexual harassment in the workplace: Guidance for people professionals

Practical advice on how to tackle sexual harassment in the workplace

For Members
Guide
TUPE transfers: Guide for people professionals

A practical resource which aims to illustrate examples of a TUPE process

For Members
Guide
Agency workers: Understanding the law

Understand what employers need to do to manage agency workers within the law 

All guides