Menopause and perimenopause are becoming issues in the workplace as some executives and companies navigate the challenges of hormonal transitions. Recent reports from Channel News Asia and Fast Company highlight a growing movement to normalize these biological shifts, moving away from forced disclosure toward inclusive, privacy-focused health policies.
The conversation is shifting from a private medical matter to a professional necessity. For centuries, the biological realities of women have been used to cast them as unsuitable for positions of consequence and authority, often under a culture of “tahan”—a local term for enduring hardship.
The hidden cost of silence in the boardroom
In a personal account shared with Fast Company, a startup founder described the intense pressure of maintaining high-level professional performance while navigating the physical and emotional vulnerabilities of major life transitions. She recounted pitching a $5 million seed round while in active labor and closing a $10 million Series A just seven days after giving birth. While these stories are often celebrated, she argues that such narratives can mask a deeper patriarchal tendency to applaud women only when they perform despite extreme physical vulnerability.
This vulnerability extends into the mid-career years. Fast Company notes that “brain fog” and hot flashes can affect even the most seasoned executives. When these symptoms are met with stigma rather than support, women may be left struggling through unaddressed symptoms on their own.
The psychological barrier to seeking help is significant. Ms. Au Yoke Mei, a former operations professional, told Channel News Asia that her experience with a male boss in her 40s made her reluctant to disclose debilitating endometriosis pain. She noted that explaining why she might feel unwell in the morning but appear fine by midday felt “very strange” and overly personal. This reluctance highlights a critical gap: even when formal policies exist, a lack of trust or a perceived lack of empathy from management can render those policies useless.
Privacy-first models offer a path toward psychological safety
To combat this, some organizations are moving toward models that provide support without requiring women to disclose their specific medical status. Ms. Ang from HeyVenus, a firm specializing in menopause support, suggests that companies should make menopause “visible without making women disclose that they are going through it.” This approach prioritizes psychological safety, allowing employees to access resources privately.
The Singapore College of Insurance (SCI) has already implemented this strategy. After partnering with HeyVenus, the college launched menopause-friendly initiatives in April that include gender-specific health screenings and access to a digital health management platform. The college ensures that personal health information remains private and is not shared with the employer. The results suggest that privacy encourages engagement; in the first quarter of the program, more than a third of eligible women voluntarily utilized the benefits.
According to Channel News Asia, the success of such programs is not merely about participation numbers. For organizations like SCI, the true metric of success is whether employees feel they have credible information and the confidence to make informed decisions about their well-being.
| Support Mechanism | Primary Objective | Impact on Workplace Culture |
|---|---|---|
| Private Digital Platforms | Anonymized health management | Allows employees to access support without disclosure to the employer |
| Gender-Specific Screenings | Proactive medical intervention | Embeds menopause in broader health and well-being arrangements |
| Environmental Adjustments | Immediate symptom relief (e.g., desk fans) | Demonstrates tangible, daily empathy from management |
| Flexible Time-Off Policies | Management of acute symptoms | Builds trust between employees and managers |
Why management must lead the transition
The responsibility for managing menopause cannot rest solely on the individual employee. Small, practical gestures can significantly alter the workplace experience. Ms. Tan, co-founder of Surety, noted that employees have reported benefits ranging from being allowed time off for medical appointments to receiving simple items like desk fans and peppermint oil to manage hot flashes.
However, the effectiveness of these tools depends heavily on the immediate supervisor. As Ms. Au Yoke Mei observed, even the best formal policies fail if a manager is unsupportive. In her own experience, a female boss who recommended gynecologists provided a level of support that made opening up possible, whereas a male boss created a barrier of discomfort.
The shift is happening, but it is not uniform. While the stigma around discussing periods is changing, particularly in Asia, it remains a generational challenge.
