Education

Leadership Coaching for Women in Menopause

Professional women in their 40s and 50s are well-positioned to move into leadership roles and accept more responsibilities at work. For many, this is a period of professional reinvigoration in which they seek to capitalize on many years of work experience.

Unfortunately, this is also the period in which over 80% of women will struggle with the symptoms of menopause and its precursor, perimenopause.1

Senior executive woman working late

1 IN 3

The proportion of menopausal women who report that their symptoms make it difficult to cope with their workload.2

%

The percentage of menopausal women experiencing bothersome symptoms who reduce their work hours as a result.3

2 IN 5

The proportion of menopausal women who consider leaving or leave employment as a result of their symptoms.4
The menopause transition affects women for an average of 4-8 years, typically during their mid-to-late 40s and early 50s.5 This transitional period is accompanied by a myriad of physical, mental, and emotional changes.

These changes can affect women’s self-efficacy, workplace productivity, absenteeism rates, and retention. Those with more severe symptoms are significantly more likely to experience emotional exhaustion, be less engaged with their work, and seek to leave their position.6

Senior female executive working at a laptop

The Cost

By reducing women’s work productivity and causing more absenteeism, the menopause transition creates a substantial economic burden. According to the Menopause Foundation of Canada, the symptoms of menopause cost the Canadian economy approximately $3.5 billion annually.7

Symptomatic women take more sick leave than their peers without menopause symptoms. Canadian working women miss an estimated 540,000 working days per year due to unmanaged menopause symptoms.7 Each year, menopause symptoms cost Canadian employers $237 million in lost productivity.7

Employers who ignore the impact of menopause on their female employees are leaving money and talent on the table. The loss of experienced, capable employees to the symptoms of menopause costs employers dearly.

3-4x employee’s total salary

The estimated total cost of replacing an employee, combining direct and indirect costs.8

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References

  1. The Royal Women’s Hospital. (n.d.). About menopause. RWH
  2. D’Angelo, S., Bevilacqua, G., Hammond, J., Zaballa, E., Dennison, E. M., & Walker-Bone, K. (2022). Impact of Menopausal Symptoms on Work: Findings from Women in the Health and Employment after Fifty (HEAF) Study. International journal of environmental research and public health, 20(1), 295. D’Angelo
  3. Evandrou, M., Falkingham, J., Qin, M., & Vlachantoni, A. (2021). Menopausal transition and change in employment: Evidence from the National Child Development Study. Maturitas, 143, 96–104. Evandrou
  4. EMPACT Menopause Study Bulletin – Society for Women’s Health Research. (2024, June 3). Society for Women’s Health Research. EMPACT
  5. O’Neill, M. T., Jones, V., & Reid, A. (2023). Impact of menopausal symptoms on work and careers: a cross-sectional study. Occupational Medicine, 73(6), 332–338. O’Neill
  6. Alzueta, E., Menghini, L., Volpe, L., Baker, F. C., Garnier, A., Sarrel, P. M., & De Zambotti, M. (2024). Navigating menopause at work: a preliminary study about challenges and support systems. Menopause, 31(4), 258–265. Alzueta
  7. The Menopause Foundation of Canada. (2021). Menopause and work in Canada. MFC
  8. Navarra, K. (2023, December 21). The real costs of recruitment. SHRM. Navarra
  9. McGonagle, A. K., Schwab, L., Yahanda, N., Duskey, H., Gertz, N., Prior, L., Roy, M., & Kriegel, G. (2020). Coaching for primary care physician well-being: A randomized trial and follow-up analysis. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 25(5), 297–314. McGonagle

Disclaimer: This one-pager offers a summary of key topics in women's health, supported by research data and sources. It is intended for general informational purposes only and does not replace detailed academic studies. For more comprehensive and detailed insights, please refer to the original research cited.