Perimenopause in the workplace: Why employee benefits need to catch up
Canadian employers are losing experienced women because menopause support remains overlooked in many employee benefits plans.
There is a conversation happening in boardrooms, break rooms, and benefits renewal meetings across Canada, and it’s one that’s long overdue. Perimenopause in the workplace is affecting employee health, productivity, and retention, yet many women continue to navigate it silently and without support. Women are disappearing from our workplaces, quietly, gradually, and often without explanation. And far too often, the reason is something that affects every woman who lives long enough: perimenopause and menopause.
As someone who has spent a career designing benefits programs meant to support the whole person, this should concern all of us. Because the data tells a story that employers can no longer afford to ignore.
The numbers employers can’t ignore
According to the Menopause Foundation of Canada (MFC), there are more than 10 million women in Canada over the age of 40, representing one-quarter of the country’s population. Two million of them are between the ages of 45 and 55, the typical window for the perimenopausal transition. This segment is also the fastest-growing demographic of working women in Canada and is expected to increase by nearly one-third by 2040.
At the same time, unmanaged menopause symptoms are costing the Canadian economy an estimated $3.5 billion annually. A Deloitte Canada analysis commissioned by MFC found that approximately 540,000 workdays are lost every year because of menopause symptoms, contributing to $237 million in lost employer productivity.
Women themselves bear an even greater financial burden. The report estimates they lose approximately $3.3 billion in income because they are reducing work hours, stepping back from leadership opportunities, or leaving the workforce entirely.
One in 10 women leave their jobs because of unmanaged symptoms. One in three say those symptoms negatively affect their performance at work. Yet only 13% of women report that their employer provides adequate menopause or hormonal health benefits.
That last number should stop employers in their tracks.
The menopause research gap is becoming a workplace issue
What makes this challenge even more difficult is that women’s hormonal health has historically been under-researched and under-supported.
Dr. Vonda Wright, orthopaedic surgeon, longevity researcher, and founder of Women’s Health Conversations, has helped bring attention to what she calls the Musculoskeletal Syndrome of Menopause. Her research outlines how estrogen loss accelerates declines in muscle, bone, cartilage, and connective tissue health.
She has also spoken openly about the neurological effects of menopause, noting that hormonal changes can fundamentally affect how women think, feel, and function.
Dr. Kelly Casperson, a urologist and author of You Are Not Broken, has similarly challenged the long-standing reluctance within healthcare systems to treat women’s hormonal health with the same urgency often applied to men’s health concerns.
These voices matter because many Canadian women are navigating this transition in a healthcare system where menopause education remains inconsistent. The Menopause Foundation of Canada has identified clinician education as an ongoing systemic challenge, leaving many women to rely on outdated guidance or little support at all.
What employers can do right now
This is where the role of employee benefits becomes genuinely meaningful.
Addressing perimenopause in the workplace does not require employers to completely redesign their benefits plans. It starts with recognizing menopause as a legitimate and manageable health transition that deserves support, education, and access to care.
That can include:
- Expanding paramedical coverage to include menopause-informed practitioners such as naturopaths, registered nurses, and hormonal health specialists
- Reviewing drug plan coverage to ensure hormone therapy options are accessible and affordable
- Strengthening mental health supports related to anxiety, mood disruption, sleep challenges, and cognitive changes
- Creating workplace flexibility through scheduling adjustments, temperature accommodations, and workload support
- Providing education that helps reduce stigma and encourages open conversations
Employers including PwC Canada, BMO, and Arthritis Society Canada have already begun reviewing their benefits and workplace wellness strategies through a menopause-inclusive lens.
They are not doing this simply as a wellness initiative. They are doing it because retaining experienced employees is a business imperative.
Why menopause support matters for employers
Women navigating perimenopause are often among the most experienced employees within an organization. They are leaders, mentors, specialists, and long-term contributors whose knowledge and experience are difficult to replace.
When organizations fail to address perimenopause in the workplace properly, the impact extends beyond individual employees. It affects retention, productivity, workplace culture, and employee well-being.
Benefits programs have evolved significantly over the years to support mental health, family planning, and holistic wellness. Menopause support should be part of that conversation too.
Supporting women through perimenopause at work
To every woman who has sat through a meeting in silent discomfort, questioned changes in concentration or energy, or wondered why no one talks openly about this experience: you are not alone.
And for employers, addressing perimenopause in the workplace is an opportunity to lead with empathy, education, and action.
The women navigating perimenopause in your organization right now are some of your most experienced, dedicated, and capable employees. They have earned meaningful support from the workplaces they help build every day.
Benefits programs should reflect that.
Looking at your employee benefits strategy?
Westland Benefits helps organizations build people-first group benefits plans that support employee well-being at every stage of life.
Connect with our team to learn more about creating inclusive benefits strategies that support today’s workforce.
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Sources:
- Menopause Foundation of Canada
- Deloitte Canada: Menopause and Work in Canada report
- Dr. Vonda Wright
- Dr. Kelly Casperson
