Menopause is a natural stage of life when oestrogen levels decline and periods stop. As menopausal symptoms are typically experienced for several years, it is best described as a ‘transition’ rather than a one-off event.

The average age to undergo the menopause in the UK is 51, but around 1 in 100 people experience it before the age of 40. There is no clear cause for the early onset of menopause, but it can be as a result of surgery (for example oophorectomy), illness or treatment (such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy).

Given the average age of a women’s menopause is 51 years, a significant number of employed women will be working through their menopausal transition.

Research by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, found that two thirds (67%) of working women between the ages of 40 and 60 with experience of menopausal symptoms, said that these symptoms have had a mostly negative impact on them at work.