Despite progress, there remains an understanding gap when it comes to menopause which is still treated as a personal health matter rather than a workplace issue in many small and micro-businesses. But this comes at a significant cost for women and the businesses they work for.
Around three quarters of women experience menopause symptoms which go beyond physical changes and can include anxiety, low mood, sleep disruption, brain fog and loss of confidence, which can have a significant impact on mental health and day-to-day functioning at work. The CIPD’s 2023 Menopause at Work report found that 67% of women aged 40–60 in employment who have experienced menopausal symptoms say these have had a mostly negative effect on them at work.
This obviously has negative consequences for retention and this is backed up by data. Research by The Fawcett Society found that 26% of women who have been employed during the menopause had taken time off work due to their symptoms. Similar research by Simply Business found that 38% of women reduced their working hours, whilst 10% left employment altogether. For smaller teams, losing highly-skilled women from specialised roles can be disruptive and expensive.
Despite this evidence, many companies still see menopause support as something that is reserved to the HR departments of larger organisations. But the majority of British businesses are SMEs with no HR support. The good news is that supporting mental health through menopause does not have to be expensive or complicated.
Here are five practical ways SMEs and micro-businesses can begin to support mental health through menopause.
1. Build a culture where menopause can be talked about safely
The way that employees are made to feel at work, the tone of informal conversations, and the behaviour of the leadership teams dictates how safe people feel to talk about their wellbeing at work. The CIPD report found that many women experiencing menopause symptoms feel to embarrassed to talk openly about it at work, often due to fear of judgement, or being seen as less capable.
According to The Fawcett Society, many women end up reducing their hours or leaving work during menopause due to the lack of understanding and resulting stigma. For small teams, this can affect morale, continuity and engagement.
Creating a supportive culture is not about creating complicated policies, but rather making sure that all team members know that conversations about menopause and mental health are welcomed.
2. Treat menopause-related mental health symptoms as legitimate workplace needs
Menopause symptoms can affect a woman’s confidence, concentration, emotional wellbeing and general ability to function at work. Symptoms such as anxiety, low mood, sleep
disruption and cognitive fatigue can be harder to spot than physical symptoms and can easily be overlooked. It is important that we recognise menopause as a legitimate workplace issue and don’t mistake it for poor performance or a lack of engagement.
Stigma and poor understanding around menopause can increase the stress and anxiety that women feel at this time, particularly if they don’t feel safe enough to ask for support at work. But mental health issues related to menopause can quickly escalate into sick leave, disengagement, and eventually the decision to reduce hours or leave work entirely.
It is vital that SMEs respond to menopause-related issues earlier and with compassion to protect women’s wellbeing and reduce potential performance issues.
3. Use flexibility as a mental health support tool, not a special favour
In small and micro-businesses, flexible working arrangements can be a great tool when used intentionally. Menopause symptoms, such as disrupted sleep, emotional volatility and cognitive fatigue can fluctuate from day to day, so fixed schedules, lack of autonomy and rigid expectations often create more stress for women experiencing these symptoms and can increase the risk of burnout. Flexibility, on the other hand, enables women to better manage their symptoms before the situation escalates into absence.
Flexibility can be as simple as adjusting start and finish times to account for disrupted sleep, allowing women to work from home where possible or temporarily adjusting workloads when symptoms are particularly bad.
It is important that this flexibility is framed as a reasonable workplace adjustment, not special treatment. If women feel they need to apologise for or justify the need for flexibility, this leads to more stress and anxiety which undermines the support being offered.
4. Accept that one size does not fit all, especially for neurodivergent women
Menopause is not the same for all women and the support on offer needs to reflect their differing experiences. Symptoms can vary in type, intensity and duration and there are factors that can make menopause symptoms more challenging for some women.
Research from The Women’s Organisation highlights how menopause can make existing neurodivergent traits more challenging for menopausal women. Their report found that 61% of women with ADHD said it had the greatest impact on their daily lives between the ages of 40 and 59. During this time, women may experience more difficulties with concentration, emotional regulation, sensory sensitivity, and executive functioning. If we try to standardise our assumptions about what menopause “should” look like, we risk overlooking the experiences of those affected.
For small businesses, individualised support can be reasonably easy to provide. Smaller teams are more agile so can adapt communication styles, workloads and environments based on direct feedback. When we can work with women to provide the support they need rather than basing our support on a standardised checklist, we have a much better chance of improving mental wellbeing and performance.
5. Equip managers and owners with the confidence to start the conversation
Many small business owners and managers lack the confidence to provide the necessary menopause support that women need. They often worry about saying the wrong thing, overstepping boundaries, or causing offence and this can lead them to avoid conversations about menopause and mental wellbeing.
The CIPD’s Menopause at Work report highlights that managers often don’t feel equipped to have conversations about menopause and this can delay support and leave employees feeling overlooked, anxious and stressed.
It is a misconception that specialist clinical knowledge is required to provide the needed support. In reality, women aren’t expecting a diagnosis from their manager or employer. Rather they need basic guidance on menopause and its mental health impacts, and respectful conversations focused on how menopause is changing their needs at work. Employers should focus on listening and signposting to further support where necessary.
When managers can start these conversations early, they can prevent menopause-related issues from escalating into absence, disengagement, or resignation.
For SMEs and micro-businesses, supporting mental health through menopause does not require perfect policies or medical expertise. Menopause simply needs to be recognised as a common life transition that affects mental wellbeing, performance, and retention. Employers should respond with compassion, flexibility, and understanding. It is when menopause is ignored or misunderstood that businesses risk losing experienced, capable women at a critical point in their careers.
About the authors
Victoria Brookbank and Haley White are the co-founders of Menominds, a fully funded UK-based training initiative and workshop programme that supports self-employed women and those working in small and micro-businesses who are dealing with the mental health challenges linked to perimenopause and menopause. Together, they bring expertise in psychology, workplace wellbeing, and menopause awareness, with a shared focus on helping women feel understood, supported, and able to thrive at work and beyond. They support individuals and organisations to better understand the mental health impacts of menopause and to create more compassionate, inclusive approaches to wellbeing in the workplace. Find out more at https://www.menominds.co.uk/
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