Hidden in Plain Sight: Menopause in the Workplace

Menopause can present with a wide range of symptoms from sudden hot flushes (even in the middle of chairing an AGM in a cold church hall) to crippling anxiety and the nagging fear that I can’t do the job I know and love.

Research suggests that a fifth of women of menopausal age say it has negatively affected their career, and 41 per cent report that menopause is treated as a joke in the workplace. Many women say they have lost motivation and confidence, feel unable to talk about their symptoms, and want clearer, more practical support from employers.

In conversations with colleagues and friends who are also experiencing menopause, the words I hear most often are “embarrassed”, “overwhelmed” and “exhausted”. It is worth asking whether we recognise these signs in the people we work alongside every day, and whether they feel able to speak openly and admit they are struggling. A generation ago, menopause was rarely discussed; many friends have told me they asked their mothers why they were not warned about what to expect, and the response was often simply: “You just get on with it.”

The cost of silence at work

Women make up around 50–52 per cent of the total real estate workforce in the UK property sector.

A 2023 survey of women aged 40–60 found that 23 per cent had considered resigning, and 14 per cent were planning to hand in their notice. For businesses, this can mean losing skilled, experienced employees, often at the point when their expertise is at its strongest simply because they don’t feel supported through a significant health transition.

Menopause symptoms can also have a direct day-to-day impact on performance at work. 49 per cent felt less patient with clients and colleagues, and 46 per cent felt less physically able to carry out work tasks. In a client-facing, fast-moving property environment, those impacts can show up during back-to-back meetings, inspections and site visits, long days on the road, and high-pressure communication with residents, agents, contractors and leaseholders.

• Brain fog, memory lapses and fatigue can make it harder to juggle compliance deadlines, diary management and reactive issues.

• Hot flushes and anxiety can feel particularly exposing in formal settings (AGMs, client presentations, negotiations) and may lead women to avoid speaking up.

• Physical symptoms (headaches, joint pain, disrupted sleep) can make travel/driving, stair-heavy buildings, and long site walks more difficult.

Many women reduce their hours because symptoms become harder to manage at work. Yet small, thoughtful adjustments can make a meaningful difference such as access to a temperature-controlled space, flexible uniform options, and breathable, non-restrictive workwear or the option to work from home.

• 72 per cent of organisations do not have a menopause policy.

• More than a million women have felt pressured to quit in the past five years as a direct result of menopause.

Practical strategies for property professionals

As property professionals, how can we prepare ourselves for a busy working day when symptoms flare?

• Include omega-3-rich foods to support concentration and reduce brain fog.

• Use reminders, voice notes and a planner to stay on top of tasks.

• Stay hydrated throughout the day.

• Choose breathable, comfortable clothing where possible.

• Keep a cooling facial spray in your desk drawer or car for hot flushes.

• If you notice triggers such as caffeine, alcohol or stress, plan to reduce or manage them.

So, what can organisations do to help?  A robust menopause policy should be in place.  The policy should include:

• A clear purpose and scope (including definitions such as perimenopause/menopause) and a statement that menopause will be treated seriously and without stigma.

• How employees can request support, who they can speak to (manager/HR/OH/menopause champion), and what happens next (meeting, agreed plan, review dates).

• Roles and responsibilities for line managers, HR, and (where applicable) Occupational Health and facilities/health & safety.

• Confidentiality and privacy: how information will be handled and recorded on a need-to-know basis.

• Examples of reasonable workplace adjustments (e.g., flexible hours, rest breaks, temperature control, uniform/workwear flexibility, hybrid working where possible, access to water/toilets, temporary task/target adjustments).

• How menopause-related symptoms will be considered in sickness absence and performance management, including reviewing adjustments before any formal action.

• Training and awareness for managers (and optional sessions for all staff) on supportive conversations, adjustments, and preventing harassment.

• Signposting to support (GP, EAP, Occupational Health, and trusted menopause resources).

• Links to related policies (dignity at work/anti-harassment, flexible working, sickness absence, health & safety) and a brief note of legal duties under the Equality Act 2010.

• How the policy will be monitored and reviewed (policy owner and review date).

Most importantly, don’t suffer in silence. Start the conversation with your manager or HR team, be clear about what would help, and encourage your organisation to treat menopause support as a standard part of employee wellbeing and not an afterthought.

To conclude, we won the contract of the block, neither of the men noticed a thing because I hid it so well.  But was that the best solution.  Even in 2026 most of the Directors I deal with in the property world including my boss are male.  There should be far more education available to men and a deeper understanding of this period (yes, I have said the word) that women of a certain age have to contend with.

Joanna Wade MTPI AIWFM, Associate Director, Novus Residential