It feels like a particularly cruel twist of nature: just as women are reaching the peak of their careers in their 40s and 50s, menopause strikes. For some women, their symptoms are mild enough not to interfere with their nine-to-five too much. For many, perimenopause can make the daily grind feel like an uphill battle, resulting in missed promotions, sick leave, and even quitting altogether.
The British Menopause Society estimates that around 80 to 90% of women will experience menopause symptoms, with 25% of them describing them as debilitating. Inevitably, this impacts work. A study by The Fawcett Society involving 4,000 menopausal women (the largest survey of its kind) found that 14% of women had reduced their working hours because of their symptoms, 8% avoided going for promotion, and 10% even resigned.
