Menopause support at work is about more than putting a policy on a website.
For Sarah Cooper, founder of Flamingo Menopause Coaching and a former HR professional, workplace culture, line-manager training, flexibility and open conversations all play a part.
Alexander Clementine founder Alex Perry spoke with Sarah about unexpected menopause symptoms, the importance of tracking changes, what men can do to support women and what genuinely useful menopause support can look like in the workplace.
Sarah also discusses frontline employees, remote working, menopause support groups and why employers need to recognise that menopause is not a niche issue.
Key takeaways
Track changes in your body before and during perimenopause; men should listen rather than immediately trying to “fix” menopause; manager training is fundamental to good workplace support; frontline employees need particular attention because they often have less flexibility; menopause support groups should provide support, education and help drive change; and employers should not rely on a menopause policy alone.
What is the biggest misconception about menopause?
Sarah points to two assumptions straight away:
“It’s all women in their 50s, and it’s all about hot flushes, basically.”
She explains that the term menopause is often used very generally, while the symptoms people are describing are frequently those experienced during perimenopause.
Sarah also distinguishes menopause itself from post-menopause and draws attention to how long that later stage can last.
“Women can be postmenopausal for almost a third of their life.”
For Sarah, post-menopause is significant but discussed much less than perimenopause.
What is one of the most unusual menopause symptoms Sarah experienced?
Sarah’s answer is driving anxiety.
“My most unusual symptom that I didn’t connect with menopause was driving anxiety.”
It began with anxiety about being a passenger.
Sarah says she had always been slightly nervous as a passenger, but it became much more intense.
“I dreaded getting in a car.”
She then became uncomfortable driving herself, particularly somewhere unfamiliar.
At its most difficult, Sarah avoided travelling by car and looked for public transport alternatives.
“The stress of it, even the anticipation of it, was too much for me to deal with.”
Sarah describes driving anxiety as one of her earliest perimenopause symptoms, which meant she did not have menopause as an explanation at the time.
“It just came out completely out of the blue.”
She says she has subsequently heard other women recognise the same symptom during menopause-awareness sessions.
What does Sarah want men to understand about menopause?
Sarah’s central message is to listen rather than immediately trying to solve the problem.
“Men often want to fix stuff.”
But for Sarah:
“What we just want is someone to listen and understand where we’re coming from, and not try to fix it.”
She says menopause itself cannot simply be stopped, but the person going through it can be given understanding, patience and space.
Sarah also believes the more men learn and talk about menopause, the better.
Her summary is simple:
“Don’t try to fix it, just listen and understand.”
What is Sarah’s biggest advice for someone entering perimenopause?
Sarah recommends tracking symptoms — ideally before someone even believes they are perimenopausal.
“Track your symptoms.”
Her reasoning is that recognising change is easier when you know what was normal for you beforehand.
“You don’t know something’s changing unless you understand what is normal before.”
Sarah recommends paying attention not only to menstrual cycles but also to:
- mood
- joints
- stress levels
- mental load
- how your body feels
- how your mind feels
Her advice is:
“Really tune into your body.”
Sarah also discusses using symptom-tracking tools and taking that information to a medical appointment so a healthcare professional can see what is happening and how frequently.
Why can menopause still feel difficult in the workplace?
For Sarah, a major part of the answer is culture.
“I think it’s very cultural-based.”
She says the best organisations create environments where people can talk openly — not only about menopause but about workplace issues more broadly.
Sarah also emphasises the role of managers.
She says some people are promoted because they are technically good at their jobs without necessarily having been taught how to manage people.
That can become particularly difficult when a manager is faced with a menopause conversation they have no experience of handling.
“Line management training is, for me, one of the fundamentals of trying to get this right.”
A written menopause policy is not enough on its own.
“You can have the best menopause policy in the world.”
But Sarah says that without wider cultural change it may simply:
“Sit on a shelf.”
Why can senior women find menopause particularly difficult to discuss at work?
Sarah says some of the women she saw who were least willing to discuss menopause openly were more senior women.
Her explanation is vulnerability.
“They feel more vulnerable if they talk about it.”
Sarah says they may worry about being viewed as less capable or as though they are making a fuss.
She particularly highlights the difficulty for someone who may be the only senior woman working among a group of men.
For Sarah, openness from senior people is one of the factors that can help change organisational culture.
What does genuinely good menopause support at work look like?
Sarah’s starting point is clear:
“I would always say, start with training your managers.”
General menopause awareness matters, but she believes managers also need to know how to have good conversations with people.
She describes much of that training not as menopause-specific knowledge, but as:
“Good human skills.”
Sarah also says some HR teams may need specific menopause training.
Beyond training, she recommends:
- menopause support groups
- menopause champions
- general awareness
- senior leaders talking openly
- people within the organisation who can support employees day to day
Sarah compares menopause champions with mental-health first aiders: people within different areas of an organisation who are trained and available to support both individuals and managers.
Should men and women receive different workplace menopause education?
Sarah does not think the subject matter needs to be softened for men.
“I wouldn’t say you give them different training.”
She gives vaginal dryness as an example of something organisations might hesitate to discuss in front of male employees.
Her response is:
“Well, why can’t you?”
Sarah points out that men may have partners, daughters, mothers, colleagues or employees going through menopause.
She accepts that in some workplace cultures separate sessions may make people feel more comfortable, but says the reason for excluding men should be considered rather than assumed.
Why are frontline workers particularly important in menopause support?
Frontline employees are one of the groups Sarah feels most strongly about.
Unlike an office worker with more control over their diary, someone on a factory floor, in retail, on a production line or in a call centre may not be able to simply take five minutes when they need it.
“You can’t just suddenly go, ‘I need five minutes.’”
They may have targets to meet, customers waiting or a production process dependent on them.
Sarah also says:
“They’re probably the least empowered people in the organisation.”
That lack of flexibility can make support particularly difficult.
Sarah gives the example of someone who has slept badly but is expected to be on the phone at eight o’clock in the morning, compared with someone senior enough to decide they will start later.
For Sarah, workplace menopause support needs to account for those differences.
Is working from home better during menopause?
Sarah does not give a single answer.
She says it can be easier to manage some physical symptoms at home, including heavy periods, hot flushes and joint pain.
But she also says remote and hybrid working can create challenges around mental health and employee welfare because managers may not see when someone is struggling.
“Employee welfare is harder to manage when you can’t physically see people.”
Sarah’s own experience illustrates why she does not see one working arrangement as universally better.
Much of her experience involved cognitive and mental-health symptoms, and going into the office gave her social contact and support.
“Me being able to go into the office and seeing people was a bit of a saviour.”
At the same time, Sarah says she has worked with women for whom being able to work from home:
“Has literally stopped them having to give up their jobs.”
Her conclusion is that needs depend on the individual and the symptoms they are experiencing.
Why can’t a menopause policy cover everyone?
Sarah believes organisations can establish broad principles around things such as flexible working and uniforms.
But some support will always need to reflect the person and their specific job.
“That’s where you can’t just rely on a policy to tell everybody everything.”
For Sarah, this is where a human approach becomes essential.
What role can menopause support groups and champions play?
Sarah describes menopause support groups as divisive at first — some women may not want to sit together discussing symptoms.
But for others:
“They’ve been literal lifelines for people.”
Sarah identifies three purposes for a successful group:
1. Support
A place for peer conversations, questions and shared experiences.
2. Education
Helping the organisation talk more openly about menopause.
3. Driving change
Using the people actually experiencing workplace issues to help shape what the organisation does next.
Sarah is a strong advocate of co-creation.
Rather than HR producing a menopause policy in isolation, she wants support groups involved in developing and testing what the organisation puts in place.
She describes these groups as:
“Your eyes and ears in the organisation.”
And says:
“It should be there also to help you drive change.”
What is the one thing Sarah wishes every employer understood?
Her answer returns to the misconception at the start of the interview:
“It’s not just women in their 50s.”
And, more importantly:
“It’s not a niche, it’s not a niche issue.”
Sarah says women are continually entering perimenopause, which means organisations will continually have employees going through it.
For her, menopause support should therefore not be treated as something relevant to only a small group of employees.
What should someone do if they are struggling with menopause at work?
Sarah believes the first step is to speak up.
If someone does not feel comfortable speaking to their line manager, she suggests finding someone else they trust.
That could be:
- a colleague
- someone in HR
- an employee support service
- a menopause support group
“Don’t just suffer in silence.”
Her advice is:
“Find someone that you can have a conversation with, and who can help you.”
Where should a smaller employer start with menopause support?
Sarah’s advice is simply to begin somewhere rather than waiting until everything is perfect.
“Just start, just start somewhere.”
That could mean an awareness talk, an employee panel, manager training, a working group or a menopause support group.
Sarah does not oppose having a policy. Her issue is with producing one solely as a box-ticking exercise.
“Just doing a policy which no one ever sees… is not going to fundamentally change the way of menopause support in your organisation.”
She also says smaller businesses can create their own menopause action plans even when they are not required to publish them.
Sarah recommends finding interested people from across the organisation rather than leaving the issue entirely with HR or senior managers.
Is workplace menopause support improving?
Sarah believes the conversation is changing.
“I think the tide is definitely turning.”
She compares the amount menopause is discussed now with when she first created a workplace support group several years earlier.
Her hope is that support eventually becomes an ordinary part of working life:
“It will become like an everyday… it’s just a no-brainer.”
A policy is only the beginning
Sarah’s argument throughout the interview is not that workplace menopause policies have no value.
It is that a policy alone does not create support.
Managers need training. People need to feel able to speak openly. Frontline roles need to be considered differently from office roles. Support needs to reflect the individual. And the women experiencing menopause at work need to be part of creating the solutions.
As Sarah puts it:
“Don’t think it’s just a policy and you’ve ticked a box.”
About Sarah Cooper
Sarah Cooper is the founder of Flamingo Menopause Coaching.
Before retraining as a menopause coach and trainer, Sarah spent many years working in corporate organisations and finished her corporate career in HR.
Her interest in menopause at work developed after she created a menopause support group within her organisation while leading diversity and inclusion work.
She subsequently retrained in menopause coaching and training and now works with individuals and organisations around menopause awareness and workplace support.
This interview forms part of Alexander Clementine’s Expert Conversations, speaking directly with people working across menopause and women’s health about the questions women and employers are asking.
