Many of the people managing, sponsoring and budgeting for menopause support will be men. They do not need to know everything, but they do need to listen, learn and lead without embarrassment.
In the 2026 Balance@Work survey of 5,592 respondents, 60% described the impact of hormone-related symptoms on their working life as significant or enormous. The survey was anonymous and self-selecting, so the findings should be understood as evidence of respondents’ experiences rather than estimates for the wider working population.
One of the biggest barriers to better menopause support at work is not lack of policy. It is discomfort.
People do not know what to say, so they say nothing. This is particularly true for some male managers and leaders. They may worry about saying the wrong thing. They may feel menopause is too personal. They may assume it is something for women, HR or wellbeing teams to handle.
But if you manage people, shape culture, approve budgets or lead teams, menopause is part of your role.
Newson Health’s article “3 things men need to know about perimenopause” is written to help men understand what may be happening during perimenopause and how they can support the people around them. The workplace version is simple: male leaders do not need to be experts in hormones, but they do need to be active allies in creating a more supportive working culture.
That starts with understanding that perimenopause and menopause can affect work. Symptoms may include disturbed sleep, hot flushes, mood changes, anxiety, brain fog, fatigue, joint aches, heavy bleeding and reduced confidence. Experiences differ, and some people will be affected much more than others.
A male manager does not need to know the full clinical detail. He does need to know enough not to dismiss, minimise or avoid the conversation.
Silence from male leaders can be powerful, and not in a good way. If senior men never mention menopause, do not attend training, do not sponsor support and do not make space for the subject, it sends a message that this is peripheral. Optional. Embarrassing. Something for women to sort out among themselves.
That is not inclusion. Inclusion means the people with power take responsibility for the culture they create.
For male managers, the first skill is listening. Not fixing. Not joking. Not becoming awkward. Not asking intrusive questions. Listening.
A useful conversation might sound like: “Thank you for telling me. What impact is this having at work?” Or, “What would help you work well at the moment?” Or, “Would you like to speak to HR or occupational health?”
No diagnosis. No medical advice. No embarrassment.
The second skill is consistency. Menopause support should not depend on whether a woman happens to have a sympathetic manager. If one team is supportive and another is dismissive, the organisation has a management problem.
The third skill is sponsorship. Senior leaders can help by attending training, approving investment, asking for data, including menopause in talent conversations and making it clear that support is a business priority.
This matters commercially. Many women experience perimenopause and menopause at a point when they are highly experienced and valuable to the organisation. If they feel unsupported, some will reduce hours, avoid promotion, lose confidence or leave. That affects retention, leadership pipelines, productivity and culture.
Male leaders should care about that. Not because they are being kind. Because it is good leadership.
You do not need to have all the answers. You do not need to share personal experience. You do not need to become a clinical expert.
But you do need to show up.
That means attending the training, sponsoring the policy, asking what the data says, making budget available and being willing to say publicly that menopause and hormone health matter in your organisation.
Your silence will be interpreted. So will your support
At Balance@Work, we believe menopause support is not a women’s issue. It is a leadership issue. Every manager needs the confidence to listen, respond and support people well. Don’t take it from us, we were proud to work with The Metropolitan Police in training their menopause champions.
“The Menopause Champions training and workshops that Sarah has delivered have had such a positive impact. We are a large organisation and it can be hard to ensure that we reach everyone, but we now have a network of over 200 trained Champions who can help and support women, managers and colleagues with menopause. This is not to be underestimated. Our managers have told us that they want to help but don’t feel they have the tools they need to do so, and Sarah and her team have been able to provide much needed guidance for them”
Brain fog can affect confidence, communication, decision-making and productivity. Employers need to look not only at symptoms, but at how modern work overloads the brain.
More than a quarter of women have considered leaving the workforce because of hormone-related symptoms, according to new research from Balance@Work.
79% said hormone-related symptoms had affected their work participation or career decisions, while 24% had already left a role or organisation because of hormone health.
