The absence of workplace accommodations for employees experiencing menopause isn’t just detrimental to their mental and physical well-being, it’s also damaging to their careers. That’s according to a new survey of thousands of women enduring symptoms of menopause and perimenopause. Women’s health care company Bonafide polled more than 2,000 U.
S. women ages 40–64 for its fourth-annual State of Menopause report , the results of which were published Monday. More than three in four women (76%) reported having no workplace accommodations for menopause , a biological milestone over 1 million women nationwide experience each year, according to the National Institute on Aging (NIA) .
These data reflect a decrease in already minimal support; nearly a third of respondents (31%) in Bonafide’s inaugural 2021 survey reported feeling at least “slightly supported” by their employer. In this year’s survey, just over half of women (51%) said they want increased workplace accommodations. Empathy from colleagues and increased time off are just two ways companies can help meet the needs of employees going through menopause , the report says.
“The days of suffering in silence are over,” Dr. Alyssa Dweck , a practicing gynecologist and Bonafide’s chief medical officer, tells Fortune . “If you’re on crutches or you’re in a wheelchair, it’s very reasonable to make sure the elevator is working if you work in a tall building.
“So if you’re suffering with hot flashes.
