What you probably already know: Momentum is building around menopause awareness in the United States. From A-list celebrities advocating for federal funding for menopause research to educational podcasts, the conversation is becoming difficult for employers and policymakers to ignore. One state recently made history by legally requiring employers to provide workplace accommodations for those experiencing menopause and menopause-related conditions, becoming the first in the nation to do so.
Why? Current and prospective employees in Rhode Island must be given reasonable accommodation for pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions. Workers are also protected from discrimination relating to these topics. A new bill, which was signed into law by Gov. Daniel McKee on June 24, adds menopause and menopause-related conditions — including “the need to manage the effects of vasomotor symptoms” (hot flashes and night sweats) — to the list of protected conditions. Employers must post a written notice in the workplace that informs workers of their rights regarding menopause. “Menopause is a difficult and personal subject that has been stigmatized in this country,” said Sen. Lori Urso, who introduced the legislation earlier this year. “But it’s high time we normalize it, especially for the benefit of women in the workplace.”
What it means: A 2022 Biote survey found that 92% of women ages 50 to 65 had experienced at least one menopause symptom in the past year, and four in 10 of these women said that menopause negatively impacted their work performance on a weekly basis — more frequently for some — costing businesses $1.8 billion in lost productivity each year. Women are most likely to move into top leadership roles when they reach menopause age, meaning millions of women who have worked hard to enter the C-suite are experiencing symptoms that range from insomnia and joint stiffness to depression and panic attacks. Still, those experiencing menopause largely suffer in silence, and nearly 65% of women in the survey said their workplace lacked menopause accommodations. Many end up leaving the workforce altogether. The bottom line is businesses can’t afford to ignore the issue any longer. “Our current lack of workplace protections for women going through the menopause transition is both an equality issue, contributing to the gender pay gap, inadequate retirement savings and lost leadership opportunities for our female workers, and an economic drag on our state’s businesses, as employers face workforce shortages and risk losing female workers at the height of their institutional knowledge and skill,” Urso said.
What happens next: Rhode Island law doesn’t explain what “reasonable accommodation” entails for those experiencing menopause, and it’s unclear if lawmakers intend to provide clarity in the near future. Such accommodations could look like longer breaks, temperature controls, work-from-home options, flexible schedules, and specific health benefits. At the federal level, U.S. discrimination and workplace accommodation laws do not explicitly cover menopause, but menopause symptoms often fall under legal protection status.