Menopause at work has finally hit the headlines and the boardroom agenda.

On 26 August 2025, the 'I newspaper' led with the story that flexible hours for menopausal women could keep them in work and boost the UK economy by £1.5bn. At the same time, the UK government confirmed that under the new Employment Rights Bill, companies with over 250 employees will be legally required to have a menopause action plan in place by April 2027 which includes career guidance through all stages of menopause.

This is a landmark moment. For years, menopause has been treated as a wellness footnote at best and at worst a major inconvenience with perceived soaring cost of implementing basic flexiblilty, to accommodate women and menopause at work. Now, it is being recognised as a strategic business risk and for progressive organisations and employers an opportunity, with the power to shape careers, leadership pipelines, governance standards, organisational growth and the wellbeing of workforces.

But here’s the reality: while legislation is a step forward, most menopause action plans will fail before they’ve even begun.

The Employment Rights Bill Explained

The Employment Rights Bill is designed to keep women in work at the peak of their careers. Its central commitment is clear: by 2027, every company with 250+ employees must publish a menopause action plan, including a detailed menopause strategy.

• Who’s included? Around 8,500 large employers in the UK.

• Who’s excluded? Smaller businesses under 250 employees, where menopause policies will remain voluntary, though pressure from investors, employees, and stakeholders will inevitably increase.

• Why now? The government wants to address the loss of skilled, experienced women leaders and claw back £1.5bn of potential value to the economy.

For HR, wellbeing, Talent, Rewards & Benefits leaders, this law raises the stakes. For women themselves, it raises an urgent question: will your company’s menopause plan actually protect and progress your career?

Why Most Menopause Plans Will Fail

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: most menopause action plans will be written as support programmes.

A webinar here.
An awareness week there.
Perhaps some policy refinements and additions.

Very few will be searching now to harness the next frontier of rewards and benefits and that's menopause benefits. Only 14% of organisations globally are providing any form of menopause benefits and that's staggering. At The Menopause Maze we undertook detailed research on the menopause benefits women leaders want from C level down to C - 3 in organisations both sides of the Atlantic. The results were staggering with 73% of women leaders saying they would move companies not for increased compensation, but for a specific menopause benefit.

But tick-box wellbeing initiatives look good on paper, while failing to touch the real risks: leadership attrition, slowed decision-making, lost promotability, investor scrutiny, and reputational damage.

Menopause support long term doesn’t retain leaders. Menopause strategy does.

Without a menopause strategy, organisations risk losing senior women at the very moment their leadership is most valuable, costing not just careers, but growth, valuation, competitive advantage and millions in lost leadership development investment not to mention the IP those women hold.

Menopause at Work Is a Governance and Growth Issue

Menopause isn’t only about talent and wellbeing. It’s about governance.

As I recently shared in my Financial Times interview on menopause in the boardroom, investors and regulators are already asking governance questions that HR alone cannot answer.

Failing to act strategically on menopause is no longer just a wellbeing oversight, it’s a real governance gap that leaves leadership, results, and brand reputation raw and exposed.

The Only Company Delivering Menopause Strategy Diagnostics and Design

At The Menopause Maze, we are the only organisation in the world providing menopause strategy diagnostics and design, underpinned by hard data.

Most HR leaders don’t have the visibility, metrics, or strategic clarity to know:

• Where menopause is hitting hardest in their leadership layers

• Which top-tier talent is most at risk

• What to prioritise first for retention and progression

We do.

Our multi-award-winning NOPAUSE™ Advantage Workplace Diagnostic is the world’s only online diagnostic that measures the strength of your menopause strategy. In under 3 minutes, it reveals the exact points where menopause is costing you, reveals the hidden risks and it produces based on results a personalised data dashboard that shows:

• Policy & Provision Maturity

• Leadership Fluency & Capability

• Retention Risk & Pipeline Visibility

• Organisational Culture & Strategic Readiness

This is what future-proofing your female leadership pipeline looks like: evidence, not assumptions.

And it’s why we’ve been recognised with awards including Business Advisors of the Year, Business Coaching Service of The Year, Menopause Champion of the Year, Career Coach of The Year, Global 100 Excellence in M&A, and Top 250 Global Influencer in FemTech.

We also lead on what women leaders actually want from their employers. Our research into menopause benefits that women really want shows the gap between token wellness offers and the strategic support that truly retains top talent.

While others support, we deliver strategies that actually protect women’s careers and produce measurable returns in retention, promotion, company growth, performance, productivity and profitability.

Menopause Career Coaching - Protecting Women Leaders Directly

Workplace policies are essential. But they’re not enough.

For women in leadership roles, from the highest levels in the C-suite down to the C-3 pipeline, executive menopause career coaching is the missing piece.

Unlike generic wellness support, menopause career coaching focuses on safeguarding careers, protecting performance, and aligning leadership with business growth.

At The Menopause Maze, our approach is built around three priorities:

• Executive recalibration: restoring pace, boardroom presence, performance and progression

• Leadership career protection: maintaining gravitas, promotability, pay and long term benefits

• Business impact and influence: ensuring growth, deals, and investor relations are not compromised by unseen menopause risks.

Because while HR teams can write policies, only a personal career strategy ensures women keep leading without limits. Women want to secure their own advantage and continue to accelerate in their leadership, so they can keep growing their careers and in turn keep growing the companies that they lead.

ROI of Menopause Career Coaching

When it comes to leadership, menopause is not just a wellness issue , it’s a strategic risk and a commercial opportunity. Menopause career coaching for your leadership layer, is the fastest way to protect both.

Short-term ROI:

• Performance restoration: regain clarity, focus, and executive edge within weeks, not years. The average tenure of peri to post menopause is 10 years.

• Impact and influence : reverse the hesitation, second-guessing, and delays that quietly stall careers, decisions and deals.

• Boardroom presence: equip women with the leadership tools that ensure they remain effective in high-stakes environments and restore their risk appetite, their vision, focus, strategic input and grow the companies they lead.

Long-term ROI:

• Career longevity: stay in peak roles across 40's into your 50s and 60s, extending influence, income, and leadership legacy.

• Promotability protected: menopause stops being the invisible handbrake, so career progression continues to the boardroom.

• Business and income growth: when leadership isn’t compromised, companies scale faster, valuations hold stronger, and reputations are safeguarded.

The return is clear: investing in menopause career coaching is not a “nice-to-have”, it’s required and it that protects careers, growth, and organisational performance.

Why the NOPAUSE™ Coaching Method Is Different

Most menopause coaching focuses on symptoms and wellness - sleep, nutrition, lifestyle adjustments. Important, yes. But not enough for the boardroom.

The NOPAUSE™ Method was designed specifically for women in C-suite roles, founder positions, and leadership pipelines. It is not wellness coaching. It is executive recalibration, leadership performance and commercial strategy for women navigating menopause at the highest levels of business.

Here’s what sets it apart:

• Strategic focus: Built on our primary research backed pillars, every element is geared to safeguarding careers, reputations, and results and ensuring women leaders continue to reach their boldest and biggest growth goals without curtailment or compromise.

• Business integration: Aligns directly with business growth strategies, investor demands, and leadership expectations. This is not about symptom diaries; it’s about sustaining board-level impact.

• Executive edge: Restores the clarity, decisiveness, and authority that menopause can erode, the very qualities boards and investors depend on.

• Fast-track results: Women who use the NOPAUSE™ Method secure promotions, scale companies, lead through M&A, and protect their boardroom positions, even when peers stall or step back.

While other menopause coaches help women “cope,” the NOPAUSE™ Method equips women continue to lead without limits.

It’s why I’m proud to be recognised as both a professional menopause coach, a global menopause influencer, and a trusted menopause keynote speaker for boardrooms worldwide.

The NOPAUSE™ Advantage: From Compliance to Competitive Edge

At The Menopause Maze, we’ve built the world’s only online diagnostic that measures your menopause strategy and plan.

In under 3 minutes, it reveals whether your current policies, leadership practices, and support offers are strong enough to:
✔️ Retain top female talent
✔️ Protect promotability and pipeline
✔️ Safeguard leadership, growth, results, and reputation

It’s for leaders and organisations serious about protecting performance and growth.

The Future of Work and Menopause: What Leaders Must Do Now

2027 may feel distant, but the clock is ticking.

For HR, wellbeing, benefits and reward along with DEI leaders, this is the moment to move beyond compliance and build robust retention and attraction talent strategies that truly protect and progress your female leadership.

For women leaders, founders, and aspiring executives, this is the time to create your own menopause career plan, so you’re not left relying on a plan that your company might not be able to deliver.

Ready To Take Action Now?

Every women's menopause is different and especially so, for your top women leaders. So the menopause strategy and development solutions you provide should be specific for them too.

This isn’t a one-size-fits-all initiative. Whether you’re building foundational support or ready to embed menopause into your wider talent and leadership strategy, The Menopause Maze will work with you to co-create a high-impact menopause strategy and supporting development programme that retains top talent, protects your leadership pipeline and accelerates the careers of your most valuable women leaders through all stages of menopause.

About The Author: Fiona McKay The World's Premier Menopause Business Growth Strategist

Fiona McKay is the multi-award winning CEO of The Menopause Maze™ and is also known in the media as The Menopause Career Coach™. She has been awarded the coveted titles of Career Coach of The Year 2025, Business Advisor of The Year 2025, The Most Influential Women's Health and Career Support Business Women and Menopause Champion of The Year. She is the Menopause Career Coach C-suite women and workplaces go to when they want to achieve their biggest career and boldest business growth goals so they can lead limitlessly through all stages of menopause.

She is a featured strategic menopause career and business coach in The Guardian, The Independent, OK Magazine and as a menopause business and boardroom expert on live TV including BBC News and ITV News.

You can connect with Fiona at: fmckay@themenopausemaze.com.

Fiona is also available for keynote speaking, panel chairing and conference hosting at menopause awareness month events, women's leadership and business conferences and for fronting brand campaigns as a leading menopause influencer.