The Devil can probably represent himself, but if I were to play advocate briefly - it’s a reasonable-sounding business argument. I mean, menopause is a natural part of life; it’s not as though the employer left a trailing flex, and a woman tripped and landed headfirst in perimenopause.
And in economic times like this, businesses already have enough costs to contend with. Surely they can’t be expected to accommodate every personal health issue on top of everything else? Can they?
The best thing to put out a flaming pitchfork, in my experience, is lovely cold hard numbers. Because while supporting employees experiencing menopause may involve a few costs, losing them can be considerably more spendy.
The women we’re losing
In 2023, the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD) surveyed 2,185 employed UK women aged 40 to 60. Among those who had experienced perimenopause/menopause symptoms:
Statistic 1: 6% reported leaving work due to insufficient support. Statistic 2: Another 17% had considered leaving for the same reason. [1]
Let’s pause there and unpack that for a moment.
Now, before I worked in this area, I would probably have made the assumption that many do; we are talking about a smallish cohort of women around ages 49 to 51. Recent science tells us the age range is much, much wider.
In fact, research published in Nature Medicine in October 2026 suggests that some hormonal changes associated with menopause begin more than a decade (in some cases up to 15 years) before the final menstrual period. [7] Separately, research has found that some women experience symptoms for more than a decade afterwards. [9]
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Symptoms can start in the mid-to-late 30s. (Symptoms of Menopause, 2024)
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51 is the average age of menopause in the UK. (Menopause factfile, 2026)
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Some women continue experiencing symptoms into their 60s.
That isn’t 6% of the entire female workforce. It’s a finding from a particular group of women who report their own experiences.
That doesn’t mean everyone experiences symptoms throughout those years. But it does suggest that the biology of menopause has a longer lead-in than we once understood.
It’s fascinating research, and we’ll examine it in more detail in another article. For now, the important point is that menopause-related workplace difficulties aren’t confined to a couple of years around someone’s 50th birthday.
This potentially affects a huge section of the experienced workforce. And that should worry employers.
These tend not to be inexperienced employees early in their careers. Many women going through menopause have spent decades developing their knowledge, professional skills, customer relationships, and understanding how their organisations tick. And many of them are just upping and leaving.
How much does that actually cost?
Let’s look at that. An employee resigns. You advertise the vacancy, interview candidates and appoint somebody new. Job done. If only it were that simple.
The new person has to learn the organisation, its systems, its people and the less obvious parts of the job. Colleagues may pick up the slack while the position is vacant. Managers have to spend time recruiting and training instead of/on top of doing their usual work.
Oxford Economics looked at the financial consequences of replacing professional employees across five UK sectors back in 2014. It estimated an average replacement cost of £30,614 per employee.
Adjusted for inflation, that would be a projected £45,600 in 2027 prices. [2, 8] More interestingly, approximately £37,500 of that projected figure relates to lost productivity while the replacement gets up to speed. Yikes.
Obviously, actual costs vary across businesses and roles, but it’s useful to deconstruct the financial nuts and bolts of replacing an experienced employee.
It’s not like-for-like.
Recruiting is one thing. Actually replacing their contribution is a whole new bottom-line problem - and it’s harder to put your finger on.
The CIPD found that 27% of working women aged 40 to 60 who had experienced menopause symptoms reported a negative impact on their career progression. [1] The Fawcett Society’s 2022 research also found women had reduced their working hours or decided not to pursue promotion because of their symptoms. [3]
So that 6% I mentioned above reported leaving work because of insufficient support. But others stay and lower their professional ambitions because of the direct effect of their workplace on their menopause symptoms.
What that means is: the employer might keep a great employee but lose out on their experience, potential, and willingness to take on more responsibility, without a solitary clue that it’s happening. All that expensive training and development just doesn’t get realised, which comes at a cost too.
And the cost to the UK economy?
Here’s where the numbers get all eye-watering. Brace yourself.
£1.5 billion
Research commissioned by the NHS Confederation estimated that around 60,000 UK women were out of employment because of perimenopause or menopause, with a potential economic benefit of £1.5 billion a year if they returned to work. [4] Yes billion. For clarity, that's a modelled estimate, and the DWP has highlighted limitations in the research. [5] Potato potahto. But even allowing for all of that, £1.5 billion is a fairly compelling reason to take the issue seriously.
A change is coming in 2027
From spring 2027, subject to secondary legislation, employers with 250 or more employees will be required to publish equality action plans covering their gender pay gap and support for employees experiencing menopause. [6]
Smaller employers won’t have this particular requirement (that said, we are still working with some great ones who want to get things right anyway).
You don't need 250 employees to feel the financial impact of losing good people. Recruitment, absence, lost productivity and valuable experience can have a massive impact, whatever the business size.
Speaking to businesses about this, the challenge is knowing where on earth to start, especially when HR teams already have enough on their plates. At Human Upgrade at Work, we take the pressure off, helping organisations develop meaningful menopause support while they get on with what they do best.
We find out what employees actually need, deliver engaging workshops for leadership teams and provide practical education, resources and ongoing support. Everything is tailored to the organisation, with the focus on creating real, measurable change rather than simply having another policy in place. Also, despite the serious subject matter, we make it fun.
The bottom line
Employers don't have unlimited resources, and they can’t protect their employees from all difficult experiences. But they can assess the financial implications of losing experienced staff and consider whether workplace support could help retain them. Some effective adjustments are almost stupidly cheap and simple. Others require a bit more planning.
The commercial argument isn't that every menopause initiative saves money. It's that doing nothing also has a potential cost, and those numbers are almost always worth crunching.
We believe menopause support belongs in the same conversations as recruitment, retention, workforce planning and business performance. Not just some pink-themed ‘self-care’ ideas on your October wellbeing calendar.
If you're responsible for managing people, we can help you understand what really brilliant, cost-effective menopause support could look like in your organisation. Ready to protect your talent and your bottom line? Book your menopause support conversation today.
References
[1] Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (2023). Menopause in the Workplace: Employee Experiences in 2023. Survey conducted by YouGov, 2,185 employed women aged 40–60.
https://www.cipd.org/uk/knowledge/reports/menopause-workplace-experiences/
[2] Oxford Economics (2014). The Cost of Brain Drain. Research commissioned by Unum, examining employee replacement costs in five UK sectors.
https://www.oxfordeconomics.com/resource/the-cost-of-brain-drain/
[3] Fawcett Society (2022). Menopause and the Workplace. Research involving 4,014 women aged 45–55.
https://www.fawcettsociety.org.uk/menopauseandtheworkplace
[4] NHS Confederation (2024). Women's Health Economics: Investing in the 51 Per Cent. Economic analysis by Gorham and Langham.
[5] Department for Work and Pensions (2025). Menopause in the Workplace Literature Review. Ad hoc research report no. 116.
[6] UK Government (2026). Creating an Action Plan: Guidance for Employers.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/creating-an-action-plan-guidance-for-employers
[7] Nature Medicine (2026). Population-scale reconstruction of menopause dynamics reveals a physiological cliff at the final menstrual period.
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-026-04614-0
[8] Office for National Statistics (2026). Consumer Prices Index, series D7BT. September 2026 inflation data. Office for Budget Responsibility (2026). Economic and Fiscal Outlook, October 2026, forecasting 3.4% CPI inflation for 2027. Used here for an illustrative projection, not a measured replacement cost.
https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices/timeseries/d7bt
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/october-2026-economic-and-fiscal-outlook
[9] Avis, N. E. et al. (2015). Duration of Menopausal Vasomotor Symptoms Over the Menopause Transition. JAMA Internal Medicine, 175(4), 531–539.
https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2014.8063
[10] NHS (2024). Symptoms of Menopause.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/menopause-and-perimenopause/symptoms/
[11] Local Government Association (2026). Menopause Factfile.
https://www.local.gov.uk/our-support/workforce-and-hr-support/wellbeing/menopause/menopause-factfile