At our recent Women in Tech event, we were privileged to hear from Katherine Church (Digital Health Consultant, Femtech Adviser and NED) and engage in great conversations with our amazing attendees. Together, we explored the real impact of menopause on careers and the critical need for businesses to respond.
There were some insightful takeaways and actionable ideas shared, all aimed at continuing this much-needed conversation.
An Overlooked Issue in a Fast-Paced Industry
The UK tech industry is famed for innovation, agility, and pushing boundaries. However, it still seems to be falling behind when it comes to supporting one of the most natural transitions in the workforce, the menopause.
With women over 50 now the fastest-growing workforce demographic in the UK, and a significant portion working in tech and digital roles, ignoring menopause isn’t just outdated, it’s a business risk.
The Business Impact: What’s It Costing?
Many companies see menopause as a personal issue. But the organisational cost can be substantial.
According to a 2022 report by the Fawcett Society:
- 1 in 10 women leave work due to menopause symptoms.
- 44% say symptoms negatively affect their ability to work.
- Presenteeism and absenteeism lead to lost productivity across departments.
900,000 UK women have left work due to menopause. Source: The Fawcett Society.
In a high-performance industry like tech, where burnout is already rampant and talent is hard to retain, this results in:
- Early retirement of senior developers and managers
- Lost and Leadership experience
- Lower morale and team cohesion
- Recruitment and training costs to replace skilled staff
£30,000 per hire is the average cost of replacing a skilled employee. Source Bupa.
Why Tech Companies Need to Act Now
The tech sector already faces challenges with gender diversity. If menopause remains a taboo topic, we’re likely to see:
- A leadership gap: As women exit mid-to-senior roles prematurely.
- Inclusion failures: Tech prides itself on forward-thinking, yet menopause remains a silent exit route for many.
- Reputation risks: Younger talent increasingly values inclusive cultures. A lack of menopause support reflects poorly.
What Tech Employers Can Do
Supporting menopausal employees doesn’t require massive structural changes, but it does require awareness, empathy, and leadership.
Here’s where to start:
- Create a menopause-friendly policy. Incorporate flexible working, reasonable adjustments, and clear routes for support.
- Train managers. Many line managers feel unprepared to have conversations about menopause. Equip them.
- Normalise the conversation. Use internal comms, ERGs, and events to break the stigma.
- Provide physical and mental health support. This includes access to occupational health, counselling, and medical support.
Here are some useful resources to check out
Here are some practical tools to help your organisation start to explore what you can do to support women in your workplace.
Fawcett Society: Menopause and the Workplace Report An in-depth data and recommendations for UK employers
British Menopause Society: Workplace Guidance Guidance for clinicians and employers.
Henpicked: Menopause in the Workplace Training and consultancy services tailored to businesses.
CIPD Menopause at Work Guide A comprehensive guide for HR and people leaders.
The Latte Lounge Podcast Midlife women’s health, careers, and menopause Podcast.
Over The Bloody Moon An Organisation that’s on a mission to remove the muddle from menopause, menstruation, and andropause.
BSI Guide to Menstruation, Menstrual Health and menopause in the workplace. A useful guide for businesses about supporting women in the workplace.
The UK tech industry can’t afford to ignore the simplest truth: supporting women through menopause isn’t just compassionate – it’s commercial sense.
By creating menopause-inclusive cultures, we protect our talent pipeline, retain our most experienced leaders, and send a powerful message: everyone belongs at every stage of life.
There’s more to read. Why not explore our other blogs!
