Part 2: Menopause in the Workplace – Moving from Cost to Action

In our previous article, we looked at the economic impact of menopause on Canadian employers and the Canadian economy and asked the question: What can we do about it?

Menopause is a natural stage of life, but the symptoms associated with it can affect sleep, energy, mood, concentration, memory and overall well-being. For working women, these symptoms can also affect productivity, engagement and their ability to remain fully active in the workplace.

For employers, supporting women through menopause does not mean providing medical advice or creating a separate healthcare system. It means making sure employees have access to appropriate information, resources and healthcare when they need it.

Education Is the First Step

One of the simplest and most effective steps an employer can take is to provide credible education about menopause and women’s health.

Many women may not fully understand the changes associated with perimenopause and menopause. Managers and coworkers may also have limited awareness of how symptoms can affect an employee at work. Employers can provide access to reliable information through seminars, webinars and employee resources that explain menopause, common symptoms, lifestyle considerations and when professional medical advice may be appropriate.

Education can reduce stigma, encourage earlier intervention and make employees more comfortable seeking help.

How Your Benefits Plan Can Make a Difference

Many plans already provide access to paramedical services, but employees may not always understand how these services can complement medical care during menopause and other stages of life.

Depending on the plan design and the practitioner’s qualifications and scope of practice, registered dietitians can provide guidance on nutrition and lifestyle. Physiotherapists, including pelvic-health specialists, can address appropriate musculoskeletal and pelvic-health concerns. Psychologists and other mental-health professionals can assist with stress, anxiety, mood and related concerns.

These services can complement appropriate medical care. Employees experiencing significant or persistent symptoms can access qualified physicians and other healthcare professionals for assessment and treatment.

The opportunity for plan sponsors is to ensure that their benefits program provides meaningful access to services and that employees understand how to use them.

What Plan Sponsors Should Consider

Plan sponsors should ask the question if their plan provides meaningful access to the resources employees may need. 

Consider asking:

• Are employees educated about women’s health and menopause?
• Do employees understand the health resources available to them?
• Does the plan provide meaningful paramedical coverage?
• Are annual maximums and practitioner categories sufficient to provide useful support?
• Are benefits being communicated effectively?
• Is women’s health part of the organization’s broader wellness strategy?

Employees cannot use benefits they do not know exist. This moves from Reactive to Preventive Healthcare. 

Women’s health should also be considered alongside mental health, chronic disease prevention, cardiovascular health and other wellness initiatives.

The Bottom Line for Plan Sponsors

Women’s health is not simply another employee benefit issue. It is increasingly connected to employee well-being, productivity, engagement and retention.

Menopause deserves particular attention because of its potential impact on both the individual and the workplace—and because the women affected are often experienced employees whose knowledge and skills are valuable to their organizations.

For employers, the opportunity is straightforward:

Educate employees. Encourage appropriate healthcare. Review the benefits plan. Communicate available resources. Support women throughout their working lives.

The question for plan sponsors should therefore evolve from:

“What does our benefits plan cover?”

to:

“Does our benefits strategy provide our employees with the education, resources and access to care they need to remain healthy and productive throughout their working lives?”

That is an important conversation for today’s employers—and one that deserves a place in the future of employee benefits.