In which professional sector do women feel most supported while experiencing menopause or menopause symptoms at work?
Based on a survey of 1,000 women, we ranked the results in order of the highest percentage of respondents who said they felt somewhat or very supported.
- Healthcare and social services - 57%
- Public services, law and security - 53%
- Education and nonprofit - 52%
- Business, finance and professional services - 48%
- Retail - 44%
- Other sector - 42%
From 2027, the government has announced it will be mandatory for employers with 250 or more members of staff to implement a menopause action plan - and they are encouraged to start putting this in place from April 2026. This is good news, with our data suggesting that doing so could have a big impact on how supported women feel.
Of the respondents who worked in healthcare and social services – which ranked the highest sector for menopause support - while 37% said that their employer doesn’t provide any support provisions, 22% said they had a menopause policy, followed by 16% that stated their employer provided counselling support.
In comparison, just 15% of retail workers in the survey said that their place of work had a menopause policy, 8% had counselling and 10% had menopause leave. This is higher than workers in healthcare and social services however, where just 7% had menopause leave.
Meanwhile, 53% of those working in healthcare and social services felt comfortable discussing menopause at work, compared to 41% in retail. Only 28% of respondents working in business, finance and professional services felt comfortable, which was significantly lower than the average for all respondents, which sat at 44%.
How does menopause support at work differ by region?
We also wanted to look at people’s experience across the UK, so split our responses by region.
- London - 59%
- South East - 55%
- West Midlands - 52%
- South West - 51%
- North West - 49%
- East Midlands - 48%
- East of England - 47%
- Yorkshire and the Humber - 45%
Survey respondents in the South East, which was the ‘most supported’ region outside of London, said that 41% of them would feel comfortable discussing menopause at work. Those in the North West felt the most comfortable, at 53%, while 45% of women in the East of England felt uncomfortable.
Just 16% of respondents in London said their place of work had a menopause policy, rising to 20% in the South East and sitting at 18% for those in Yorkshire and the Humber. A whopping 26% of respondents in the North East said their place of work did have a menopause policy, however its overall rating hasn’t been included in the overall rankings due to the low sample size.
Changing attitudes towards women’s health
The menopause can affect anyone that has a period. It typically occurs between the ages of 45 and 55, but sometimes even sooner, and symptoms can last an average of seven years. When you consider that people’s preferred retirement age sits at 62 – though many don’t actually expect to retire until 67- then it’s clear to see why workplace support is fundamental for the wellbeing of millions of women.
Everyone’s experience of the menopause is unique, but for many people, common symptoms such as anxiety, mood swings and brain fog can have a huge impact on day-to-day life. Professional pressures can create additional stress for women who are already going through huge changes, often affecting their personal life too.
In our survey, 45% of respondents stated that brain fog affected their work performance the most, followed by hot flushes (36%) anxiety (31%), mood swings (23%) and low confidence (20%).
Sadly, the topic of menopause, and women’s health in general, can sometimes be seen as taboo, leaving people to suffer in silence rather than seek the support they need.
However, in October 2025, the NHS announced that menopause advice will be given as part of free health checks, showcasing a step forward in breaking this taboo and giving women access to the care they need. Our survey found that 69% of respondents think that more should be done to promote alternative menopause treatments to hormone replacement therapies though, with 27% of respondents using supplements to manage their symptoms, followed by lifestyle and behavioural approaches (24%), hormone therapy (23%) and herbal remedies (13%).
Offering meaningful support
When asked what the government could do more of to support women experiencing menopause, 50% agreed that better education was key. A majority (18%) thought that for women, this should start from the ages of 15 – 18, followed by 31 – 35, and 35 – 40 (both 16%). Overall, 81% of respondents agreed with the statement that “Male members of society should receive greater education around menopause and how they can better support the women in their lives”, suggesting the need to extend this education wider.
Starting your journey with supplements for menopause
Domini Town, our head of product at Serenova, said:
“Many women facing menopause symptoms can sometimes face dismissive attitudes wherever they turn, even when their symptoms feel debilitating on a day-to-day level. We want to flip the narrative, because with the right support, midlife can be a time of newfound joy and empowerment.
“We’ve found that supplements can offer helpful support by topping up key nutrients and providing botanicals - alongside a balanced diet - that may target the most common concerns and contribute towards better health and wellbeing overall.”
If you’re struggling with the symptoms of menopause and are interested in starting your journey with supplements, like the 27% of people in our survey, look out for some of these four key ingredients and adaptogens when making your choice.
