Working Women Lose Up to 10 Hours of Productivity a Week to Menopause Symptoms

Nine in 10 working women say at least one menopause symptom has directly impacted their productivity in the past year. That’s according to a new Hone Health survey of more than 1,000 women navigating perimenopause or menopause — and for some, the losses are severe: nearly 1 in 7 lose more than 10 hours a week, the equivalent of a full workday.

And while the majority of women Hone surveyed said that having clearly defined menopause-related time off and accommodations would improve productivity and reduce stress, data suggests only around 5% of U.S. employers offer such benefits.¹ 

The Productivity Breakdown

Eighteen percent of the women Hone surveyed say symptoms don’t affect their output. For the rest, the impact of menopause in the workplace is significant:

• 23% lose up to 2 hours each week.
• 34% lose 3–5 hours each week.
• 12% lose 6–10 hours each week.
• 13% lose more than 10 hours — for a standard 40-hour schedule, that’s an entire workday, every week.

Survey respondent Jessica, 40, notes: “There was a stretch of time where my ‘bad days’ started to feel like my new normal.” A nurse, she would start a shift already exhausted even after a full night in bed, and find herself struggling to stay as sharp and focused. She felt off mentally and physically.

Symptoms Driving Productivity Losses

While hot flashes are the best-known menopause symptom, the surveyed women said less visible symptoms were more likely to impact their ability to work. Sleep disturbances affected 90% of respondents. Fatigue hit 87%. Brain fog and difficulty concentrating, 86%. Mood changes — including anxiety, depression, and irritability — affected 85%.

• Sleep disturbances affected 90% of respondents.
  Insomnia is a commonly experienced menopause symptom, supported by broader research indicating that it impacts almost half of women in menopause or perimenopause.² Getting less than 6 hours of sleep per night can affect attention, memory, and reaction time.³ Nationwide, lost productivity after onset of sleep disruptions is associated with $2.2 billion among women aged 42–64.⁴
  
• Fatigue affected 87% of respondents.
  Persistent fatigue slows pace, reduces output, and makes sustained focus more difficult. 

• Brain fog and difficulty concentrating affected 86% of respondents.
  Employees experiencing brain fog may have trouble finding the words to express themselves, struggle to remember talking points during a meeting, or have trouble focusing on demanding work tasks.
• Mood changes affected 85% of respondents.
  Depression and anxiety carry the strongest adverse effect on work performance of any menopause symptom, according to The Menopause Society. Mood changes often go unrecognized by managers and rarely get attributed to menopause.⁵
  

How Businesses Can Protect Productivity

Nearly 80% of women surveyed say clearly defined menopause-related time off or accommodations would improve their productivity and experience at work. When asked how, 61% said they would be more productive — 43% significantly so.

“Offering even small accommodations could make a huge difference,” Jessica notes. “Just knowing you’re supported — and not alone in it — changes how you show up, not only for yourself, but for your team.” 

The accommodations women say would move the needle are mostly low-cost: flexible scheduling, clear policies, remote and hybrid work options, and additional time off.

These policies — which are already extended to other health conditions and life-stage transitions —would improve retention, reduce burnout, and protect institutional knowledge, while signaling a culture that takes health and equity seriously.

“We ask a lot of the working women in their 40s and 50s — leadership, institutional knowledge, complex decision-making. That’s exactly when hormonal changes start undermining the cognitive tools those roles depend on,” says board-certified OB-GYN Shelly Chvotzkin, D.O.  “Employers who recognize that and respond will have a real advantage.”

To bridge this gap, Hone Health is launching Menopause Time Off, a public coalition advancing menopause-inclusive leave and workplace accommodations. To get involved: 

• Sign the Menopause Time Off Declaration
• Enter to win a $1,000 microgrant for individuals whose workplaces do not currently offer menopause-inclusive paid leave
• Access an Employee Email Template to help you request menopause-related accommodations or time off in a professional, policy-aligned way
• Download a Menopause Time Off Employer Toolkit, with practical, implementable guidance to support employees navigating menopause without introducing legal complexity or stigma

Methodology: Hone Health surveyed 1,028 working women in perimenopause or postmenopause as part of a broader survey of 1,659 women. Respondents ranged in age from 30 to 60+, were employed full- or part-time, and were drawn from all major U.S. regions. The survey was fielded in 2025.

About the author

Aviva, Hone's Executive Editor, is an award-winning health-science journalist and former executive editor of Psychology Today, Reader's Digest, and The Healthy. She has written for national print and digital publications including Health, Prevention, Women’s Health, Men’s Health, Shape, Fitness, SELF, New York Magazine, and more.

About the reviewer

Dr. Shelly Chvotzkin, D.O., F.A.C.O.O.G., is a physician board certified in obstetrics and gynecology. She is a member of the American College of Osteopathic Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), the American Osteopathic Association (AOA), the American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology (ASCCP) and the Menopause Society (formerly known as the North American Menopause Society or NAMS).