Companies have started to support their workers with extensive reproductive health benefits, prioritizing perks like in vitro fertilization, egg freezing, lactation services, and fertility counseling. And thanks to the popularity of these additions, employers are trying a new kind of reproductive benefit: support for menopause, like hormone therapies and in-office cooling stations.
With employees working longer and the workforce getting older, experts say, workplaces serious about supporting pregnancy should also be supporting menopause. But while some employers are considering new benefits for workers experiencing menopause, labor laws have yet to catch up, especially in the US, and workers may be left vulnerable to discrimination.
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64% of American women aged 40–65 say they want their employer to offer menopause benefits, like coverage for hormone replacement therapy, access to menopause healthcare providers, menopause awareness sessions, and cooling rooms, according to a Bank of America–Ipsos poll conducted earlier this year. More than half of US women who have access to benefits like these say it positively affects their work, and 13% say it improves their ability to get promoted within the company.
But menopause-related health benefits still are not the norm. According to a survey by health consultancy Mercer, just 4% of employers in the US say they plan to offer some...
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