This article summarises findings from the DaisyHR 2026 Menopause Workplace Report. The full report is available to download free below.
We Looked at the Numbers. They're Worse Than Most Employers Realise.
At DaisyHR we work with SMEs across the North West every week. Menopause comes up constantly — in disciplinary meetings that shouldn't be happening, in absence reviews that are missing the real cause, in resignations that didn't need to happen.
So we decided to put the full picture together in one place.
The DaisyHR 2026 Menopause Workplace Report draws on the latest UK workforce data, market research, legal developments, and employer benchmarking to give business owners and HR leaders the clearest available picture of what menopause is costing UK workplaces — and what the best employers are doing differently.
Here are the headline findings.
Finding 1: The Workforce Is Larger Than Most Employers Assume
Approximately 13 million women in the UK are currently peri- or post-menopausal. Around 3 to 4 million of those are in paid employment and symptomatic right now.
That is not a niche. In any business with a meaningful proportion of female employees aged 40–60, this is almost certainly already affecting your team. The question is whether you know about it.
Finding 2: The Impact on Performance Is Significant — and Mostly Hidden
- 73% of menopausal women say symptoms have negatively affected their job performance
- 52% have taken time off work due to menopause — the majority without telling their employer the real reason
- Over 50% say they would not feel comfortable raising menopause with their line manager
That last figure is the most important. Your absence data is almost certainly under-reporting this. The real picture in your organisation is worse than your records show.
Finding 3: The Financial Cost Is Calculable — and Significant
This is the part most employers haven't done the maths on.
When you factor in lost productivity, menopause-related absence, and the cost of replacing women who leave because symptoms went unmanaged, the numbers become uncomfortable quickly.
- Replacing a mid-level female employee costs an estimated 50–200% of their annual salary
- An estimated 1 in 10 women leaves employment early specifically due to unmanaged menopause symptoms
- For a business with 100 women in the 45–55 age band, unmanaged menopause likely costs hundreds of thousands of pounds per year
The full cost modelling methodology — including how to calculate the likely cost for your specific headcount — is in the report.
Finding 4: Most Employers Are Doing Very Little
Despite the scale of the problem, employer response remains remarkably weak.
- Only 18% of UK workplaces have a formal menopause policy
- A minority offer any menopause-specific manager training
- Most HR teams have no structured process for menopause-related absence or performance conversations
This is both a problem and an opportunity. The bar for being a genuinely supportive employer is, right now, extremely low. The employers who move first will retain talent that their competitors are quietly losing.
The Employment Rights Act 2025 introduces a requirement for employers with 250+ employees to publish a Menopause Action Plan from Spring 2027. That deadline is now less than 12 months away.
The Equality Act 2010 already requires reasonable adjustments where menopause symptoms meet the threshold for disability. Tribunal claims citing menopause are increasing year on year.
The full legal breakdown — including what an Action Plan must contain and a 2027 compliance checklist — is in the report.
Download the Full 2026 Report — Free
The article above covers the headline findings. The full report goes considerably further.
Inside the DaisyHR 2026 Menopause Workplace Report:
- Complete UK market sizing across retail, clinical, and employer segments
- Full workforce statistics with source references
- Cost-of-inaction calculator methodology for your headcount
- Detailed ERA 2025 and Equality Act obligations breakdown
- 2027 compliance checklist for HR teams
- Benchmarking data on what leading employers are doing
It's free. No catch.
What to Do With It
Once you've read the report, the most useful next steps are:
- Share it with your leadership team — the cost data tends to be the moment it lands as a business issue, not just an HR issue
- Check whether you have a menopause policy — if not, download our free template and have one in place this week
- Brief your line managers — the report includes a one-page manager briefing you can use directly
- If you're 250+ employees, start your Action Plan now — Spring 2027 is closer than it looks
Or if you'd rather have us do the work — book a free consultation and we'll assess where you are and what you need.