Menopause is a natural stage of life, and everyone’s experience is different. World Menopause Day on 18th October is a good opportunity for employers to think about how they support people through it, with practical benefits as well as policies and conversations.
This year’s theme from the International Menopause Society is Chronic Pain at Midlife, an area that can be overlooked in research, care and conversation. The Society reports that around 7 in 10 women notice joint or muscle aches and pains during perimenopause.
Staying active through menopause and beyond
For some people, menopause brings aches and joint or muscle discomfort, which can make it harder to feel comfortable and active day to day. But regular exercise can help, supporting both physical and mental wellbeing, and physiotherapy and appropriate healthcare can offer more targeted support when it’s needed.
This isn’t only about menopause. Back, neck and joint discomfort can affect people at any stage of life, so support for physical health is relevant across the entire workforce.
What are UK employees looking for?
Some stats highlighted in our Great Employee Benefits Study 2026 show how much UK employees value this kind of support. Physiotherapy and injury prevention is the most appealing fitness-related benefit among UK employees (69%), ahead of gym access (64%) and a further 68% want preventative health assessments.
The NHS says that eating well, exercising and looking after your mental wellbeing can help with symptoms during perimenopause and menopause. Its advice includes exercising regularly to help ease mood changes, and weight-bearing and resistance exercise to help keep bones healthy.
Benefit satisfaction tells a useful story too. On our Benefit Satisfaction Score (BSAT), Gen Z and Millennials rate their benefits 7.3 out of 10. Employees in the generations above them, which include many of the people going through menopause, rate theirs 6.5. Benefits need to feel relevant to people’s lives and changing needs. Everyone’s experience of menopause is different, so support works best when it’s relevant, easy to access and feels like a choice. For someone going through menopause, access to physiotherapy, health assessments and ways to stay active may be particularly valuable.
When benefits feel relevant, they make a difference. Among UK employees who use a fitness benefit, 89% say it improves their wellbeing and 84% say it makes them feel valued by their employer. Yet while 75% of UK employees say fitness benefits matter when choosing an employer, only 41% have access to one. Our guide, Menopause at Work: How Fitness Benefits Can Support Women and Strengthen Your Workforce, looks at how exercise can help with mood, sleep, bone health and joint aches and pains, and why access matters.
Why menopause is becoming an HR priority
Menopause support is increasingly part of the conversation about workplace wellbeing and inclusive benefits. The numbers explain why. According to the Department of Work and Pensions, close to 4 million women aged 45 to 55 are in work in the UK. Women over 50 are the fastest-growing part of the workforce. Research by the Chartered Personnel and Development (CIPD) found that two-thirds (67%) of women with menopause symptoms say they have had a mostly negative effect on them at work, yet only a quarter say their organisation has a menopause policy or other support.
Many employers now include menopause when they think about health and safety at work. Employers already have a duty to assess risks, and guidance from the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) encourages them to consider how the workplace and ways of working can support people going through menopause, from temperature and ventilation to manager awareness.
Under the Employment Rights Act 2025, employers with 250 or more employees can publish an equality action plan, including how they support staff through menopause, from April 2026. Subject to legislation, publishing will become mandatory from spring 2027.
There’s a clear reason to pay attention. The CIPD also found that 17% of women with menopause symptoms had considered leaving work because of a lack of support and a further 6% had left.
Work-life balance is the top reason UK employees stay with an employer (27%) and the top reason they leave (15%), according to the Great Employee Benefits Study 2026, which is why flexibility matters.
Making support easy to choose
Epassi UK brings health assessments, physiotherapy and fitness together, giving employees the freedom to choose what suits them.
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Health assessments: Through HealthiFlex and MyHealthDiscounts, employees can access a choice of discounted health assessments, in clinic or at home. This includes menopause assessments, alongside general health checks and other preventative services.
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Physiotherapy: Through MyHealthDiscounts, employees can access virtual physiotherapy and other health services at a discount, which can help with aches, pains and movement.
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Fitness that fits: The NHS recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, plus strength exercises on two or more days. Epassi UK gives employees access to thousands of gyms, health clubs, leisure centres and fitness studios, so they can find something that works for their lifestyle.
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Choice and privacy: Employees pick the benefits that are relevant to them, so employers can offer meaningful support without asking anyone to disclose personal circumstances or explain why they need a particular benefit.
Want to go further? Download our guide to see how fitness benefits can support colleagues through menopause, with practical priorities and a checklist for HR leaders.
If you’d like to explore how Epassi UK can help make your wellbeing benefits more relevant at every life stage, including practical support for menopause, book a call with our team.
