Workplace Adjustments for a Manager Experiencing Menopause Symptoms
The Situation
Helen, a senior operations manager at a financial services firm, had been quietly struggling for several months with symptoms she eventually identified as perimenopausal — poor sleep, hot flushes, dropped concentration, and fatigue. Her output had begun to slip and she had cancelled two presentations she would normally have delivered confidently. She was reluctant to raise the issue formally and her line manager (a younger male colleague) was uncertain how to support her without overstepping.
The Challenge
- Cultural reluctance to discuss menopause openly in a high-performance environment
- Symptoms were intermittent and unpredictable — not a steady pattern
- The role required public-facing presentations and high cognitive load
- Helen had not requested adjustments and worried about being seen as 'less capable'
- Manager had no framework for how to have the conversation supportively
Our Approach
A workplace mental health and wellbeing assessment was carried out remotely by a clinician familiar with menopause in the workplace. The assessment focused on Helen's symptoms in the context of her actual job demands, what was already helping, and what specific workplace levers could be adjusted. A separate written manager guidance note was produced so the line manager had a concrete framework — and didn't have to improvise the conversation.
What We Recommended
Flexible start time
Helen can start between 8am and 10am rather than a fixed 9am, to accommodate variable sleep quality. Output measured weekly, not by hours visible at desk.
Workstation environment
Move to a desk near a window with personal control of a fan; access to a quiet meeting room for focused work during peak symptom days.
Short-break protocol
Agreed protocol for Helen to step away for 5–10 minutes during meetings without explanation. Manager signals back-up if she needs to leave a presentation mid-flow.
Written manager guidance
Two-page guidance note for the line manager covering how to have ongoing check-ins, what to ask, what not to ask, and what reasonable adjustments look like.
The Outcome
- Helen remained in role with no absence taken in the six months following the assessment
- Self-reported productivity returned close to baseline within two months
- She has since presented at three further internal events without cancellation
- The manager guidance note has been adopted as a template for two other employees disclosing menopause-related concerns
- HR is reviewing the firm's overall approach to menopause as a result of the case
“I didn't want a fuss. I wanted someone to actually understand what menopause does to focus and stamina, and to give my manager something to work with so I didn't have to keep explaining myself. That's exactly what I got.”
Returning employee, anonymised
Key Takeaway
Menopause-related workplace impact is rarely about a single big adjustment — it's about a cluster of small, specific ones plus the manager knowing how to have the conversation. Both come out of a proper assessment.
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