OccuMeno

Perimenopause and Menopause at Work

Evidence-based support for every stage of the menopause journey at work.

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The Five Stages

Perimenopause

The transitional phase leading up to the final menstrual period, typically lasting 2-10 years. Defined by irregular cycles and fluctuating ovarian hormone output. Diagnosis is clinical – serum FSH is unreliable in this window.

Irregular periods

Vasomotor symptoms (hot flushes, night sweats)

Sleep disturbance

Early Menopause

The 12 months following the final menstrual period, or within 5 years of the final period (broadly). Vasomotor symptoms are typically at peak intensity. HRT initiation or optimisation is common in this window.

Hot flushes (often most severe at this stage)

Night sweats

Sleep disruption

Established Menopause

More than 5 years post final menstrual period, typically with stabilised or improving vasomotor symptoms. Long-term HRT users or those who have completed HRT are in this group. Bone health and cardiovascular risk become the primary clinical focus.

Urogenital atrophy (often under-reported)

Ongoing fatigue (if sleep still disrupted)

Joint stiffness

Premature Ovarian Insufficiency (POI)

Ovarian insufficiency occurring before age 40, affecting approximately 1 in 100 women. May be idiopathic, autoimmune, genetic (e.g. Turner mosaic, FMR1 premutation), or iatrogenic. Distinct from natural menopause with significant additional health implications and often profound psychological impact.

Irregular or absent periods before age 40

Vasomotor symptoms

Fertility loss (if not yet completed family)

Surgical Menopause

Menopause induced by bilateral oophorectomy, typically as part of total hysterectomy or risk-reducing surgery (e.g. BRCA-related). Onset is abrupt rather than gradual, producing immediate and often severe vasomotor and hormonal symptoms without the transitional period of natural menopause.

Severe and immediate hot flushes (often more intense than natural menopause)

Night sweats

Acute mood change

Who Is This For?

Employees

Knowledge, language, and tools to navigate perimenopause and menopause at work.

Employers and HR

Evidence-based tools to support your workforce through menopause and perimenopause at work.

OH Clinicians

Stage-specific functional capacity frameworks, NICE NG257-aligned assessment, and workplace adjustment tools.

67%

of working women aged 40 to 60 with menopause symptoms say they have a mostly negative effect on their work

CIPD, Menopause in the workplace, 2023

1 in 3

women experience menopause symptoms severe enough to affect their work performance

Faculty of Occupational Medicine, 2023

10 years

average duration of menopausal transition for many women

NICE NG257, 2024

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