The menopause happens to all women, however the degree of impact on a woman’s quality of life and the symptoms experienced are very individual. It is important that all health care professionals understand the changes that women face at the time of their menopause and the issues related to improving health after menopause.

All nurses should be able to demonstrate some understanding of the impact of the menopause and provide support and advice to women and men. Those working specifically in women’s health need to understand the safety and efficacy of modern therapy options and be aware of the myriad of complementary therapies. They also need to balance these options with the fact that for many women the menopause is an event that needs no intervention, and all that’s required is general health promotion advice.

NICE defines menopause as:

"Menopause is when a woman stops having periods as she reaches the end of her natural reproductive life. This is not usually abrupt, but a gradual process during which women experience peri-menopause before reaching post-menopause" (NICE, 2024)

We have published the following guidance:

• Menopause and Long COVID (2026). Women are disproportionately affected by Long COVID, and as the peak incidence occurs between the ages of 35-49, there may be overlap with symptoms of perimenopause and menopause. This guidance, based on available evidence and clinical expertise, aims to outline principles of assessment, diagnosis, management and support to facilitate self-help and recovery.
• Menopause (2025). This publication aims to help all health care professionals gain awareness of what happens to the body during menopause and in the post-menopausal stage, and examines the impact of these changes on women, outlining the options for health after menopause.
• RCN Position Statement: Menopause and you at work (2023). The RCN believes that everyone has a right to access support at work, around the menopause, to enable them to continue in employment and ensure they maintain a healthy life, within any healthcare setting. This position statement is for all nurses, midwives, nursing associates and nursing support worker working in any health and social care setting in any of the four countries in relation to menopause at work.
• Nurse specialist in menopause (2022). The menopause happens to all women, however the degree of its impact on a woman’s quality of life and the symptoms experienced are very individual. The role of a specialist in menopause was included in the 2015 NICE guidelines on managing menopause, however the detail of how this role might be implemented in practice was less clear and subsequently the British Menopause Society (BMS) produced a guide for all health care professionals. This updated booklet builds on the BMS agreed standards, focusing on the options for nurses who may choose a career pathway towards becoming a specialist practitioner in menopause.

A free resource for training is also available, see: Menopause awareness elearning session.

The menopause is a natural stage in a woman's life and the way this affects each woman is individual and unique. Many women need some help and some adjustments with the symptoms that menopause can bring, however for some women these symptoms can be devastating and can impact on all areas of life including work.

This can be from feeling less confident in a role, to not going for promotions to thinking about stopping work or changing careers.

In order for this to change for the better, there needs to be open and honest discussions about menopause in the workplace and how it affects employees. Employers and employees should have access to a range of tools and support to help women who are struggling with menopausal symptoms.

Some key facts

• The Equality Act 2010 tells us that although the menopause is not an illness or disability, the effects of the symptoms experienced can be disabling for women which means that employers who fail to properly support women could be found to be discriminatory. 
• Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 provides for safe working, which includes working conditions when experiencing symptoms of the menopause.
• It has been estimated that there are around 13 million women who are currently peri or menopausal in the UK, which is about one third of the entire UK female population.
• According to the Faculty of Occupational Medicine, almost 8 out of 10 of menopausal women are in work.

Good practice

All organisations should have a menopause at work strategy (or one can be adopted, for example NHS Employers). There should be clear commitment that menopause is a workplace issue from the organisation, and this should involve reviewing developing any policies that are not in place, including working with trade unions.

Within these policies, line manages should have training in the signs and symptoms of menopause and how to manage, help and support their employees who may experiencing difficulties. This should include effective use of wellness/sick leave policies.

Other points of good practice include:

• raising awareness amongst employees
• providing menopause information sessions and/or a menopause café
• looking for patterns and sickness which may indicate an employee is struggling with menopause and/or has related women's health issue
  and recognising this is a complex and emotional subject and will require sensitivity to talk about.

European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. Guideline on the management of premature ovarian insufficiency. This guideline offers best practice advice on the care of women with premature ovarian insufficiency, both primary and secondary. 

NICE quality standards (2017). Menopause. This quality standard covers diagnosing and managing menopause in women, including women who have premature ovarian insufficiency. 

NICE (2024) Menopause: identification and management. This guideline covers the identification and management of menopause, including in women who have premature ovarian insufficiency. It also aims to improve the consistency of support and information provided to women in menopause.

NHS England. Supporting our NHS people through menopause: guidance for line managers and colleagues. This guidance helps NHS organisations, line managers, and those working in the NHS understand more about the menopause, how they can support colleagues at work and those experiencing menopause symptoms.

Menopause and you at work (2024). The RCN believes that everyone has a right to access support at work, around the menopause, to enable them to continue in employment and ensure they maintain a healthy life, within any healthcare setting. This position statement is for all nurses, midwives, nursing associates and nursing support worker working in any health and social care setting in any of the four countries in relation to menopause at work. 

Menopause. RCN guidance (2025). This updated publication aims to support best evidence-based practice for health care professionals to renew and update their understanding of the potential physical and psychological impact on daily living and work/life of the menopause. It includes guidance on advice and care recommended to best support women through the menopause, where required.

The Cross Government Menopause group has published the following publications on the menopause:

• The Menopause, why its good to talk.
• Menopause: Guiding principles for Employees and their Managers.
• Toolkit: Menopause at work – Employees.

Adams, D et al (2025). Menopause as a factor in psychological, behavioural and cognitive changes in women with learning disabilities.

British Menopause Society (2024). Management of unscheduled bleeding on hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

British Menopause Society. The British Menopause Society provides education, information and guidance to healthcare professionals specialising in all aspects of post reproductive health. 

British Menopause Society. BMS TV. This page includes videos with healthcare professionals talking about different aspects of the menopause.

British Standards Institution (BSI) (2023). Menstruation, menstrual health and menopause in the workplace. Guide Menstrual and menopausal health in the workplace. 

Choudini, J. (2023). Pelvis Floor Support - The PF Platform.

Daisy Network. The Daisy Network is dedicated to providing information and support to women diagnosed with Premature Ovarian Insufficiency (POI), also known as Premature Menopause.

Diabetes UK (2025). Menopause and diabetes.

GIRFT (2024). Post Menopausal Bleeding Clinic : A supplementary guide (PDF).

Guidelines for nurses. Women's health. Guideline summaries and featured articles on women's health. 

Menopause Matters. This website provides up-to-date, accurate information about the menopause, menopausal symptoms and treatment options.

NHS England (2022). Supporting our NHS people through menopause: guidance for line managers and colleagues NHS England

NHS England. Tackling the inequalities in menopause care and support.

NHS England. Supporting our NHS people through menopause: guidance for line managers and colleagues.

Nursing in Practice. Podcast -  Adding menopause to health checks and improving inclusivity in care.

Nursing in Practice. CPD: How to put the new NICE menopause guidance into practice.

Nursing Times (2025). Menopause: symptoms, investigations and diagnosis.

RCN. Menopause: the essentials for non-specialists.

Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists. Menopause and women’s health in later life. An information hub looking at women’s health around the menopause and beyond.

Royal College of Psychiatrists (2026). Menopause and mental health.

Self-care Forum (2022). Menopause Fact Sheet

Wales TUC Learning Services (2017). The menopause in the workplace. A toolkit for trade unionists. This toolkit provides information to help reps in recognising and addressing the workplace issues that can worsen women’s symptoms.

Wellbeing of Women. Menopause Information Hub.

Women's Health Concern. Women’s Health Concern provides an independent service to advise, reassure and educate women of all ages about their gynaecological and sexual health, wellbeing and lifestyle concerns.

Specific to menopause in the workplace:

• ACAS (2021). Menopause at work.
• BMS (2021). Menopause in the workplace.
• Business Wales (2019). Welsh Government: Menopause in the workplace.
• Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (2019). The menopause at work: guidance for people professionals.
• Devlin R (2019). How can we support patients through the menopause if the NHS can’t support staff? Nursing Standard website, 9 May. (accessed 09/05/19) (Web)
• Equality Commission for Northern Ireland (2021). Menopause - Guidance for employers and employees.
• European Menopause and Andropause Society (EMAS). A key international society that promotes and disseminates evidence-based care guidelines on menopause, launched a menopause and work charter.
• Firthwithlife (2019). A study of menopause in the workplace. 
• HR Services, Scotland (2019). Menopause at work.
• Menopause in the workplace (2021). Menopause and work. What does one have to do with the other? 
• NASUWT (2020). Managing the Menopause in the Workplace Scotland.
• Newson. Evidence based menopause education for healthcare professionals.
• NHE Employers (2021). Menopause and the workplace.
• Noble N (2021). Helping and supporting staff to manage menopause symptoms at work. Nursing Times [online]; 117: 6, 39-41.
• TUC (2021). Menopause at work. 
• UNISON (2019). The menopause is a workplace issue: guidance and model policy.
• Wales TUC Learning Services (2017). The menopause in the workplace. A toolkit for trade unionists. This toolkit provides information to help reps in recognising and addressing the workplace issues that can worsen women’s symptoms.

Bailey, R. (2024) Managing weight gain in menopause – what can GPNs do to help?

Bailey, R. (2024)  Managing the menopause and work: support for nurses, Nursing in Practice, 22 February.

Banks, S. (2019) Menopause and the NHS: caring for and retaining the older workforce British Journal of Nursing, 28(16), pp. 1086-1090.

Costeria, R et al (2023) Estrogen and COVID-19 symptoms: associations in women from the COVID Symptom Study.

Devlin R (2019) How can we support patients through the menopause if the NHS can’t support staff?, Nursing Standard website, 3 May.

Holloway D (2022) The menopause: symptoms, treatments and implications for women’s health and well-being. Primary Health Care. doi: 10.7748/phc.2022.e1759.

Noble N (2021) Helping and supporting staff to manage menopause symptoms at work. Nursing Times; 117: 6, pp. 39-41.

Nursing Standard Editorial (2022) Menopause leave: NHS can be ‘trailblazer, NursingStandard, 37 (9).

Ryman, J. Holloway, D. & Bowen, J. (2022) Looking after our menopausal workforce: A model for NHS staff, British Menopause Journal, (open access).

Vanderzalm, J et al (2023) Women’s health nurse experience of menopause – lessons for leaders, Nursing Management, 1 June pp.34-40.