Retaining Midlife Employees

The Midlife Divide Report by LiveCareer UK revealed that 91% of women are more likely to stay with employers who offer active support for midlife health and menopause. The 2026 report highlights that flexible schedules (58%) were a key factor for retaining experienced female talent.

Key Findings:

• Retention Trigger: 91% of women would remain longer with employers providing meaningful support for menopausal and midlife health needs.

• Top Support Desired: Women identified flexible schedules (58%), paid leave/mental health days (56%), and more women in leadership (54%) as crucial.

• Manager Training: 37% of women want managers to receive specific training on menopause. [see https://www.managingthemenopause.com/managertraining]

• Impact on Career: The report warns that without support, companies risk losing skilled, experienced women in senior roles, causing "avoidable talent loss".

What is it really like navigating menopause at work?

In a recent analysis of 600 Reddit posts and comments from women talking about their experience with perimenopause at work Shirley Sarker shared some common themes over on LinkedIn:

1. The pain isn't really about the symptoms. It's about losing who you thought you were. Almost every thread opened with a description of who they used to be. Top performer. Fast learner. Workaholic. The grief in these comments isn't about work performance. It's seems to be more about about identity.

2. Most women are still at work because they have no financial choice. Single parents. Breadwinners. Kids still in school. The ones who left describe financial consequences still playing out months later.

3. Brain fog is brutal specifically because these are knowledge workers. Lawyers. Software engineers. Executives. Paralegals. The symptom doesn't just slow them down, it attacks the exact thing their career is built on.

4. Whether you keep your job often comes down to your setup. Not how bad your symptoms are. Your environment. WFH and a non-micromanaging boss comes up again and again as the difference between employed and not. Same symptoms. Completely different outcomes.

5. Emotions become harder to control. And that's the symptom that can end your career. Because it's the one that can get you fired. Brain fog can be hidden. Snapping at someone in a meeting can't.

6. Women are doing this almost entirely alone. No female mentor who had been through it. Hiding it from husbands, friends, colleagues. Multiple women said Reddit was the only place it could be said out loud.

7. Getting proper medical help is a battle most women are currently losing. Dismissed. Told they're too young. Misdiagnosed. Told their bloods are normal. Getting treated has become a second job on top of the job they're already struggling to hold.

8. When women leave, it's usually not a choice. It's a collapse. Running out of sick days. Dipping into savings. Accepting redundency because they have nothing left to fight with. The exits in this data aren't women choosing freedom.

Flexibility (and trusting employees to use that flexibility appropriately) is key, but creating cultures where speaking honestly, and seeking support is normalised and encouraged, is also vital.

Awareness sessions, line manager training, and 1-1 coaching for those who need additional support all provide significant ROI when the costs of absenteeism, presenteeism, and turnover are taken into account.

Book a call to find out more about how we can support.