Top tips on how to support menopause in the workplace
7 October 2025
It’s Menopause Awareness Month, creating the opportunity to ensure you’re up to speed with the changing regulations. The updates to the Employment Rights Bill make it mandatory for employers to develop Menopause Action Plans. As such, employers must make reasonable adjustments to accommodate menopause symptoms. During this blog, we’ll help you understand what effective support looks like and share some top menopause meal-prep tips from women’s health specialist, Dr Awfa Paulina.
In a hurry? Here are the top three things to takeaway about workplace menopause support.
1. Legal requirement: Menopause action plans are now mandatory: Under updates to the Employment Rights Bill, employers are legally required to develop Menopause Action Plans and make reasonable adjustments to support employees experiencing menopause symptoms. Non-compliance could lead to discrimination claims, especially tied to protected characteristics like age and gender.
2. Effective menopause support = Talent retention + Reduced absenteeism: Around 70% of women feel unsupported at work during menopause, and 10% leave their careers early as a result. Providing menopause-specific support (e.g., counselling, flexible working, awareness training) helps retain skilled staff, reduce absences, and boost productivity.
3. Lifestyle Medicine matters: Nutrition and exercise help alleviate symptoms: Backed by medical insight, the blog highlights how smart nutrition (like timed protein intake and phytoestrogens) and affordable exercise can help manage symptoms. Employers can support this by offering fitness discounts, promoting healthy snacks at work, and allowing time for self-care.
Got time to stick around? Let's dive a little deeper.
What is the law on menopause support in the workplace?
Menopause isn’t a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010, but its inclusion within the regulations is due to the link to characteristics that are protected. If you were to discriminate against an employee because of menopause symptoms, it could fall under the Act if related to a protected characteristic like age or gender.
Menopause is symptomatic, and under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, employers must, where reasonably practical, ensure everyone's health, safety, and welfare at work.
In the UK, the average age of menopause is 45 to 55, and there are over four million women in work within that age range. There is a growing population of working women over 50, so the chances of women managing menopause symptoms while working are incredibly high.
Menopause support is just one of the topics we discuss in our podcast below.
What are the three stages of menopause?
We talk about menopause as this period of change, but the reality is, menopause lasts for one day. When a woman hasn’t had a menstrual cycle for 12 months, that is the day they are 'officially' in menopause.
Don’t let this scientific technicality alter your perception, because the changes associated with reaching this day can last for years, accompanied by a variety of symptoms, some of which can be severe.
1. Perimenopause
Perimenopause is the first stage of menopause and can start eight to ten years before menopause. Some women begin perimenopause in their thirties, but the majority start in their forties.
2. Menopause
As we’ve mentioned above, menopause becomes official after twelve consecutive months without having a menstrual period.
3. Post-menopause
After reaching menopause, post-menopause begins. While some of the sleep disturbances, mood changes and hot flashes women may experience during perimenopause and menopause may lessen, the lack of oestrogen increases the risk of health issues such as osteoporosis and heart disease.
What is workplace menopause support?
Menopause support from a workplace perspective should be holistic. It starts with raising awareness, changing behaviours and then embedding the solutions that will provide effective support.
Every woman will experience menopause differently, but some will have severe symptoms, potentially including depression and anxiety. Even those who have less severe and more common symptoms, such as lack of sleep, will feel the effects of not getting enough rest.
Awareness comes in many forms: education, flexibility – even the language we use. Even simple actions help, like opening a window for a colleague experiencing a hot flush who may not have the confidence to ask. More importantly, creating an environment where women are comfortable enough to express how they’re feeling.
Why is menopause support so vital?
70% of women feel unsupported by their employer during menopause (HR Review).
The International Menopause Society (IMS) works tirelessly to improve menopause awareness, the debilitating impact it can have on women, and why we need to provide menopause workplace support.
More menopause awareness + effective menopause support = retention of top female talent.
Menopause is a change. A physical, mental, biological, emotional, lifestyle, and personal transition -- the next phase of ageing. The female body undergoes numerous changes throughout life, each requiring a period of adaptation, which can impact emotional and mental wellbeing.
The transition into a new stage of life aside, the menopause impacts female physical health, and each year, the IMS uses October to bring them to life. The 2024 theme was Menopause Hormone Therapy (MHT), and this year, it’s Lifestyle Medicine, emphasising the vital role of exercise and diet – something we’ll cover in more depth later.
Menopause support: Retaining top talent
We can agree that nobody benefits from remaining silent, and that employees shouldn’t be left to find the best menopause support on their own. If menopause generally starts at 45 and ends at 55, some women may feel the effects of menopause for up to ten years. For 10% of them, menopause ends their careers early, and this doesn’t have to happen.
Dedicated Menopause Support Counsellors
Did you know menopause has approximately forty symptoms that cause discomfort or embarrassment?
Our Menopause Mentors know this, and many of them have personally experienced it, which enables them to provide tailored menopause support strategies. Your employees have access to a dedicated Menopause Support Service as part of our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP).
There’s no better way to give women the confidence to speak honestly than by connecting them with someone who understands what they’re going through, helping you can retain your talent, reduce absenteeism, and increase productivity.
With dedicated Menopause Support, you’ll give your employees access to:
- Accredited, menopause-specific counsellors and mentors.
- Corporate Menopause Awareness Training for Employees and Managers.
- One-to-one menopause support and group sessions.
- Help to create a Menopause Network within your business.
Your employees can access our Menopause Support Service in the same way they can reach any of our BACP-accredited counsellors: by phone, email, or via our app, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. If the call requires the support of our Menopause Mentors, our EAP team creates a referral. Once accepted, a menopause mentor schedules the first appointment. From there, they'll create a personalised menopause support plan tailored to your employee’s specific needs, ensuring they have all the necessary support to thrive during menopause.
Lifestyle Medicine: Affordable exercise
Movement during the stages of menopause helps women work stress through their body, protect their sense of self, and build muscles, which can help alleviate the symptoms of osteoporosis that are common during post-menopause.
Our Gym and Fitness Discounts make regular exercise more affordable and have something for everyone. Whether they prefer being outdoors, challenging themselves as part of a team, doing weights in the shelter of the gym, or following an online programme from the comfort of their home, there’s something for your whole workforce.
How busy employees can manage their diet during menopause
The theme of Menopause Awareness Month is Lifestyle Medicine, and diet plays a crucial role in this. Next, we’re joined by women’s health specialist, Dr Awfa Paulina, to explain why diet is so important and share some top tips on how working women, juggling menopause and life, can build healthy eating into their day.
Smart nutrition strategies can help you maintain energy, control symptoms, and support your health, even with a packed schedule.
The relationship between oestrogen and food
When oestrogen levels drop during menopause, your body responds differently to food. Your cells become less sensitive to insulin (the hormone that helps process sugar), making it easier to gain weight, especially around your middle. Your internal body clock also gets disrupted, affecting sleep and energy patterns.
Declining oestrogen reduces how well your insulin receptors work, leading to higher insulin resistance and more belly fat. It's a perfect storm for metabolic problems.
Timing is Everything: The power of chrononutrition
Chrononutrition refers to consuming the right foods at the optimal times to align with your body's natural rhythms.
- The protein timing approach: According to Medical News Today, older women should aim to consume most of their daily protein at breakfast, as this may support muscle maintenance and prevent nighttime blood sugar spikes.
- Time-restricted eating: According to Oxford Academic, daily eating within an 8-10 hour window shows promise for weight management in postmenopausal women, although the benefits of sleep need further study.
Smart meal prep for busy professionals
Since many women experience menopause while juggling work and family, eating the right foods at the right time needs to be easy. If it becomes another mission, they’re likely to choose convenience over nutrition.
Dr Awfa Paulina shares his top tips for adopting healthy eating habits.
Weekend prep strategies
- Batch-cook protein sources, such as lentils, baked salmon, or chicken breasts. Freeze them in single-serving portions for quick weekday meals.
- Pre-portion whole grains and vegetables into grab-and-go containers. Think cooked quinoa or roasted broccoli, ready for swift assembly.
Quick breakfast solutions
- Overnight chia-flax jars: Mix chia seeds, ground flaxseed, unsweetened yoghurt, and berries. These contain lignans. It is plant compounds that support oestrogen processing.
- Smoothie prep packs: Pre-freeze bags with protein powder, spinach, and berries. Just blend with milk each morning.
Hidden nutrition tactics that make a difference
It’s not just about what you eat, but when you eat it.
Evening fibre strategy
A 2022 study published by the National Library of Medicine explains that consuming a soluble fibre-rich snack slows down how your body absorbs carbohydrates, reducing blood sugar fluctuations and may help you sleep better.
Soluble fibre-rich foods include sweet potatoes – heat one up in your microwave as a replacement for the regular jacket – as well as apricots, oranges, figs, mangos, and pears.
Tryptophan for better sleep
A small serving of Greek yoghurt with walnuts before bed provides tryptophan. You can also find it in turkey, lobster, and tuna. Tryptophan is a building block for melatonin, your body's natural sleep hormone (WebMD).
Phytoestrogen sources
Phytoestrogens are plant compounds that mimic oestrogen. Good sources include soy edamame, ground flaxseeds, and fermented legumes; however, you'll need to consume high amounts to reap the benefits. Most research focuses on consistent use of single sources rather than rotating between them.
Making it work at the office
Knowledge is power, but prep is everything, so let’s explore how to apply what we’ve learned about nutrition to your working day survival kit.
Portable nutrition kits
Create grab-and-go packages:
- Morning: Protein pouch
- Midday: Phytoestrogen snack
- Early afternoon: Healthy fat source
Smart workplace strategies
- Set calendar reminders for nutrient timing.
- Suggest stocking office pantries with unsalted nuts and whole-grain crackers.
Beyond food: Supporting your success
- Light exposure: Brief morning walks or desk-side light therapy reinforce your body's natural rhythms and improve sleep.
- Stress management: Consuming magnesium-rich foods helps buffer stress hormone spikes during demanding workdays.
It’s important to note that research in menopausal women is still evolving. Some recommendations shared by Dr Paulina come from studies in broader populations or preliminary research. Claims about cycling different phytoestrogen sources and specific effects of various dietary fats on gene expression in menopausal women lack solid evidence and remain speculative.
Support menopause in the workplace with Pluxee UK
Thank you to Dr Awfa Paulina for sharing nutritional information and healthy eating tips that even the busiest of working women can embed into their daily lives.
Menopause support begins with awareness, which includes women understanding all the ways they can help themselves. Lifestyle really is medicine. From how we embrace movement to what we put in our bodies – it all makes a difference in relieving menopause symptoms.
Employers must support this journey, creating a safe environment, providing information and giving employees the tools they need to continue to be and give their best.
Join us in making work a place to belong through every challenge, change and journey.
