Menopausal women are the fastest-growing demographic in the workforce. One in five workers in the United States is in some phase of menopause now. Yet there’s a stigma around and a lack of menopause support in the workplace, leading many women to hide their experiences. This can negatively impact their work performance, career progression, and organizations’ talent retention.

Millennials — who will make up 75 percent of the global workforce by 2025 — are among the women demanding change. One in three millennial women experiencing menopause say their symptoms impacted their work.

About 70 percent of millennial women would consider reducing their work hours, taking a part-time role instead of full-time, changing jobs or retiring early to alleviate menopause symptoms, according to a recent survey by the family-building benefit supplier Carrot Fertility. Over 60 percent are concerned about going through menopause symptoms while working, with many worrying it will damage their career growth.

Menopause is the stage of life when menstrual periods stop permanently. It's a normal part of aging, usually experienced around the ages of 45 to 55. And it can come with as many as 34 different symptoms, including sleep changes, physical exhaustion, mental exhaustion and hot flashes. Without more menopause support in the workplace, women are willing to take their talent elsewhere.

Lack of Menopause Support in the Workplace Presents a Costly Issue for Women and Employers

It doesn’t have to be this way, said Kelly Montes, U.S. executive director for Catalyst, a global nonprofit promoting gender equity and workplace inclusion. Catalyst recently released a survey of almost 2,900 full-time employees who are either currently in menopause or recently finished experiencing it from eight countries — including Canada, the United Kingdom and the U.S. It found major gaps in support for employees going through menopause, highlighting a critical need for companies to create menopause-friendly workplaces, offer support and reduce the stigma.

“When you're looking at how to recruit and retain the best-in-class talent, when you're looking to move women through the pipeline and ensure they're a critical piece of the succession plan, addressing menopause in the workplace is a really important issue,” Montes told TriplePundit. “It’s also a costly issue.”

Read the full article about menopause support in the workplace by Amy Brown at Triple Pundit.