Washington joins short list of states to enact workplace menopause protections

Washington has become the latest state to legally recognize perimenopause and menopause symptoms as conditions that warrant formal workplace accommodations. The Washington State Women’s Commission notes that 38% of working women in the state (about 600,000) are between the ages of 40 and 59, adding that the failure to accommodate workers in menopause costs the U.S. economy $5.4 billion annually. Rhode Island was the first state to adopt legislation prohibiting menopause discrimination and a handful of other states have followed suit. “Like too many issues around women’s health, we don’t talk much about menopause,” Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson said. “Women are too often left to navigate this change alone.”