If you’re in the middle of your career and dealing with menopause or perimenopause, you’re not alone. In fact, two out of five women have thought about switching jobs or actually made a change because of menopause symptoms, according to The Menopause Society.
Think about this: more than half of women in the U.S. are working, and most keep working right through menopause. For many, this stage hits just as you’re building your career or aiming for leadership roles.
For Black women, the conversation is particularly important. Black women often report higher rates of hot flashes, depression, and sleep problems and are less likely to receive hormone therapy or related care than some other groups. Women of color also tend to reach menopause earlier and spend longer in perimenopause than non-Hispanic white women, according to AARP.
The good news? Things are starting to change. More workplaces are beginning to recognize menopause symptoms and offer real support, instead of expecting you to just deal with it on your own. A new global standard from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is helping kickstart this important conversation.
This month, ISO published the first global standard focused on menopause in the workplace, aligning with Perimenopause Awareness Month. The new standard, ISO 45010, marks a significant step toward addressing workplace barriers and supporting women throughout their careers.
The ISO is a non-governmental international organization that brings together experts to set global standards for occupational health and safety. The United States has been an ISO member since the organization was founded in 1947, with the American National Standards Institute coordinating U.S. participation.
“ISO 45010 provides internationally agreed recommendations to help organizations better understand the factors that can affect employees experiencing menstruation and menopause, and identify practical actions to support them,” said Sergio Mujica, ISO’s Secretary General, in a September 7, 2026, press release.
The new menopause standard provides business leaders, human resources professionals, and DEI practitioners with guidance on workplace design, policy development, management training, and worker education. The recommendations are designed for organizations of all sizes and sectors.
Menopause can look different for every woman, but symptoms may include:
These symptoms don’t just affect your health and daily life—they can make work a lot harder, especially if you feel uncomfortable talking about what you’re going through.
The ISO guidance also focuses on reducing the stigma surrounding menopause. According to the Astellas-developed Menopause Experience & Attitudes Study, conducted in partnership with global clinical experts and menopause advocacy leaders, 59 percent of those surveyed believe menopause is a taboo topic that people are uncomfortable discussing.
Only 25 percent believe menopause is portrayed positively in society, while 66 percent say menopause and its symptoms are often not taken seriously.
That same study found that 36 percent of respondents had experienced some type of negative impact in the workplace, including reduced productivity (17 percent), fear of telling colleagues (14 percent), and discrimination (seven percent). Only 24 percent said they felt comfortable talking to their line manager about menopause.
Here’s the reality: a lot of women still don’t feel supported at work when it comes to menopause.
“Employees increasingly expect employers to provide practical support, yet many still feel these issues are not openly discussed or consistently addressed. Closing that gap will require employers to move beyond awareness and create environments where people feel supported throughout every stage of their working lives,” said Anne Hayes, a director at the British Standards Institution who led the working group that developed the new ISO standard.
RELATED: Sis, It’s Not Just You—Why Black Women Need to Talk About Menopause
If you’re an employer, one of the first things you can do is take a close look at your current workplace practices. The ISO standard suggests reviewing everything from your physical workspace to your policies, training, education, and overall culture.
The standard also outlines several best practices for supporting women during perimenopause and menopause, including considering:
If you’re dealing with hot flashes, trouble sleeping, or sensitivity to light and noise, these changes can make a real difference.
Employers should also consider flexibility options such as variable start and end times, additional or modified breaks, remote work, and short-term leave when appropriate.
Support at work isn’t just about having policies on paper. It’s about whether you actually feel comfortable using them.
To help reduce stigma, the ISO standard includes a Manager Toolkit that addresses manager training, employee education, and medical privacy. The guidance includes examples of how managers can respectfully approach conversations about menopause-related symptoms and accommodation needs.
The standard also recommends that employers establish metrics to evaluate whether their menopause-support practices are actually making a difference. This can include measuring employee satisfaction and wellbeing, use of workplace policies, and employee retention.
RELATED: From Symptoms To Solutions: What To Expect During Your First Year Of Menopause
The ISO menopause standard is voluntary in the United States, meaning it is not itself a federal workplace law. However, its recommendations come as legal protections and conversations around menopause continue to evolve.
The U.S. Congress has not passed a federal law specifically addressing menopause in the workplace. However, legal experts say menopause-related discrimination may fall under existing federal and state laws prohibiting employment discrimination based on sex, age, and temporary disability.
Momentum is also growing at the state and local levels.
Rhode Island took an important step on June 24, 2025, when Governor Dan McKee signed a law that bans menopause discrimination at work and makes it mandatory for employers to provide reasonable accommodations for menopause symptoms. Similarly, Philadelphia’s Mayor Cherelle Parker signed a city ordinance on December 3, 2025, set to take effect January 1, 2027, with the same protections. Illinois joined in on August 7, 2026, amending its employment discrimination law to ensure workplace protections for anyone dealing with menopause-related issues.
According to the Menopause Education Center, more than 20 states have introduced menopause-related legislation as of June 4, 2026.
Because workplace protections can vary by location and your situation, it’s a good idea to talk with a qualified employment attorney or another expert if you have questions about your rights or what accommodations you can request.
It’s not enough for your workplace to just acknowledge menopause. You deserve a place where you can talk about your symptoms, ask for support, and keep your privacy—without feeling embarrassed or worried about being judged.
This conversation matters even more for Black women, who often face extra challenges getting their health concerns taken seriously. When your workplace treats menopause as a real health issue—not just something you’re expected to tough out—it becomes easier to ask for the support you need.
The ISO standard emphasizes that employees should be able to have respectful conversations about their needs while maintaining medical privacy. Managers and employers have a role in creating an environment where women don’t feel pressured to disclose more personal health information than necessary.
If perimenopause or menopause symptoms are making work harder for you, remember you don’t have to handle it all by yourself. Start by reaching out to HR, your manager, or whoever handles workplace support to find out what help or accommodations you can get.
You may want to ask:
Don’t forget, you can also talk to your healthcare provider if your symptoms are getting in the way of your daily life or job. The more you understand your symptoms and treatment options, the more confident you’ll feel speaking up for yourself.
If you’re between 45 and 64, you’re part of a group that makes up over 17 percent of the U.S. workforce—and that number is growing fast, according to US Department of Labor data. For employers, ignoring menopause doesn’t just affect individual women. It can impact the whole organization.
According to a 2026 survey of 6,494 women across seven countries highlighted in the ISO report, almost seven out of ten women think employers should step up and support staff dealing with menopause issues. Yet, six in ten say they’ve never heard their workplace bring up menopause support at all.
A Biote survey from 2022 backs this up: 92 percent of women aged 50 to 65 had menopause symptoms in the past year. Four in ten said those symptoms got in the way of their work at least once a week, and 17 percent said they’d either left their job or considered quitting because of it. Over 87 percent never talked to their boss or manager about what they were going through—mostly because of worries about stigma and doubts that speaking up would make a difference. Nearly two-thirds said their workplace offered zero support for menopause.
This isn’t just about individuals. When workplaces don’t offer support, it can ripple out to attendance, productivity, and career growth. The Mayo Clinic estimates that this lack of support adds up to $1.8 billion in lost work every year for U.S. employers.
The truth is, supporting women through menopause doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. When you can ask for help, get the support you need, and keep doing your job without stigma, everyone benefits—including your employer.
The new ISO standard shows that things are starting to shift when it comes to menopause at work. But real support means more than just talking about it. Employers need to listen, you need to know your options, and workplaces need to make sure you never have to choose between your health and your career.
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