Only 18 per cent of UK workplaces have a menopause policy, according to a new survey. while half of 1,000 women said they feel supported during menopause at work.

The study found that 37 per cent of respondents said their employer does not provide any menopause support at all. 

The new study, commissioned by women’s wellness specialist Serenova for International Women’s Day, surveyed perimenopausal, menopausal or post-menopausal women aged 30 or over.

Elle Sheppard, global head of marketing and communications at Serenova, said: “Mid-life women have so many pressures to face, the last thing they need is to feel like they have to suffer in silence at work, or worse, get forced into leaving a career they love due to a lack of support.

“Going through the menopause, including the peri and post stages, can last for years; this isn’t just a ‘flash in the pan’ day when you don’t feel your best, it’s a long period of lacking confidence, feeling exhausted and putting up with physical pain too.

The findings come as the government launched its gender pay gap and menopause action plan guidance on 4 March 2026, which will be compulsory for large businesses by April 2027.

Women working in healthcare and social services reported feeling the most supported, with 57 per cent agreeing they feel “somewhat” or “very” supported.

This was followed by public services, law and security at 53 per cent, education and non-profit at 52 per cent, and business, finance and professional services at 48 per cent.

Women working in retail reported feeling the least supported, at 44 per cent.

Among healthcare and social services workers, 36 per cent said their employer does not provide any support provisions, 22 per cent said their workplace had a menopause policy and 16 per cent said their employer provided counselling support. Just 7 per cent had access to menopause leave.

In comparison, 15 per cent of retail workers said their workplace had a menopause policy, 8 per cent had counselling and 10 per cent had menopause leave.

This was higher than in healthcare and social services, where just 7 per cent had menopause leave.

Regionally, workers in London reported feeling the most supported, with 59 per cent agreeing they feel “somewhat” or “very” supported, nine per cent higher than the national total.

The South East followed at 55 per cent, while Yorkshire and the Humber ranked lowest at 45 per cent.

Sheppard said: “Serenova was launched on International Women’s Day last year, with a goal of helping women take charge of their wellbeing so they can navigate this life phase with clarity and confidence.

“As we celebrate our first anniversary, we wanted to find out how supported women really feel, to shine a light on the reality of navigating midlife as a woman.”

A new daily menopause pill approved for NHS use could bring relief to women with debilitating hot flushes and night sweats.

Around 500,000 women are expected to be eligible for the treatment, which experts say could help those unable to take hormone replacement therapy, or HRT.

The drug, fezolinetant, also known as Veoza, is a daily non-hormonal tablet designed to target the brain signals that trigger some of the most disruptive menopause symptoms.

In final draft guidance published today, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommended the 45mg tablet for women experiencing moderate to severe hot flushes and night sweats.

More than two million women in the UK are thought to suffer these symptoms during menopause, often beginning during the earlier stage known as perimenopause.

For many, the effects are severe, disrupting sleep, affecting concentration and straining relationships. In some cases women are even forced to cut back on work.

An estimated 60,000 women in the UK are currently out of work or on long-term sick leave due to severe menopause symptoms, costing the economy roughly £1.5bn a year.

Research also suggests one in 10 women has left the workforce entirely because of a lack of support.

New research has revealed privacy and advice concerns surrounding tech aimed at helping women navigate the menopause.

The study, which surveyed 310 UK participants, warns that sensitive data collected from women about their health is often vulnerable to exploitation, ranging from targeted financial scams to workplace discrimination and misinformation.

With nearly one million women in the UK leaving their jobs due to menopausal symptoms, and an estimated 13m currently perimenopausal or menopausal, new digital technology has boomed, promising to provide medical advice and solutions.

However, the research identified significant security gaps in these technologies, including the lack of medical professionals on community forums, leading to the spread of unverified medical advice and misinformation.

The large-scale study, which is the first of its kind, also highlighted a growing tension between the benefits of menopause tech and the privacy risks associated with the intimate data these services collect.

Unlike fertility trackers, which have faced intense scrutiny following legal changes such as the overturning of Roe v. Wade in the US, menopause tech remains under-researched and under-regulated.

Dr Maryam Mehrnezhad, from the information security department at Royal Holloway and co-author, said: “Many women are turning to technology to navigate the diagnostic ambiguity of going through the menopause and to combat the long waiting times often associated with traditional healthcare.”

This makes the absence of trained medical professionals on these tech community forums, who can create misinformation, a real serious threat to participants.

Users we surveyed also expressed deep fears regarding data use, specifically that intimate health data, including emotional symptoms and sexual activity history, could be accessed by insurance companies or employers.

Such data types can be used to discriminate users e.g., in regarding their health insurances and in workplaces.

Dr Taylor Robinson, co-author and post-doctoral researcher at Royal Holloway, added: “Self-tracking apps are becoming essential tools for personal advocacy, allowing users to document their journeys and foster deeper self-reflection, which ultimately improves their interactions with doctors, but more needs to be done to protect those using the apps.”

As the femtech industry is projected to reach nearly US$30bn by 2032, the authors argue that developers and policymakers must prioritise privacy to ensure digital tools remain a safe resource for those experiencing the complexities of menopause.

Rebecca Jones and Sophie Hawkes, PhD students and co-authors, added that digital platforms and social media groups provide a vital lifeline by alleviating the isolation often tied to menopause, offering a dedicated space for users to share advice and validate their experiences and, with much more rigorous scrutiny on real healthcare advice, they can be a great asset for many.

This research provides crucial practical data to inform secure, user-centric design for policymakers and menopause tech developers, noting that many current apps and devices fall short of GDPR standards by making privacy notices difficult to access or understand.