Survey links unmanaged menopause symptoms to lost productivity and weak benefits support
Canadian employers offer limited menopause support even as symptoms disrupt women’s work and delay access to care.
A new national survey from GreenShield, Canada’s only national non‑profit health care and insurance organization, finds that only 13 percent of women say their employer provides adequate hormonal health or menopause benefits.
This remains low even in female‑dominated sectors, with 15 percent of women in education and childcare and 24 percent in health care reporting adequate benefits.
The survey of Canadian women aged 35 to 60 highlights how these gaps affect workplaces.
Nearly two‑thirds of women (64 percent) say menopause symptoms affect their job performance, and more than half (54 percent) say the time spent seeking care has disrupted their work.
Menopause symptoms, including fatigue, mood swings, “brain fog,” hot flashes, weight gain, and anxiety, are widespread and often unmanaged.
Access to effective care is also slow.
One‑third of women (33 percent) waited more than two years after first noticing symptoms to receive effective treatment, while nearly half (46 percent) waited at least one year.
Many face barriers before treatment even begins.
Nearly 40 percent say they did not know where to seek menopause or hormonal health care, while more than one‑quarter (26 percent) did not initially recognize their symptoms as part of a hormonal transition.
While half of women say they have experienced symptoms they associate with perimenopause or menopause, and another 24 percent believe they may have, fewer than half (48 percent) have discussed their symptoms with a health care professional.
Many report difficulties recognizing symptoms, uncertainty about where to turn for help, long wait times, and having their concerns dismissed by health professionals.
The findings point to a system that is not designed to support women through predictable life‑stage health changes.
Too many women still navigate menopause without clear pathways to care or timely support, said Mandy Mail, executive vice-president, GreenShield Cares.
She said the research shows many struggles to “know where to go, be taken seriously, and get effective treatment.”
When access breaks down, she added, “the consequences extend beyond health – affecting careers, workplaces and equity,” and closing these gaps means redesigning care around women’s real experiences at every stage of life.
Women’s hormonal health “sits at the intersection of health, work and equity,” said Joe Blomeley, executive vice-president, GreenShield.
He said supporting women through every life stage is essential to an inclusive workforce, and that as a non-profit that believes health care is a right, GreenShield sees “a critical gap that demands personalized, accessible solutions.”
Launched in 2025, GreenShield’s Personalized Hormonal Health Program is designed to address these gaps by supporting Canadian women through life‑stage hormonal changes.
Delivered through GreenShield+, the nurse‑led program combines clinical expertise with personalized support to help plan members better understand and manage the impact of hormonal changes on their everyday health.
By embedding hormonal health within both coverage and care navigation, the program is designed to improve access to timely, personalized support for women across life stages.
GreenShield links this program to a broader focus on women’s health.
Since 2021, its Women’s Mental Health Signature Initiative has connected nearly 200,000 women from equity‑deserving communities to free, culturally relevant mental health services.
Through GreenShield Cares’ Youth Mental Health Initiative, launched in 2025, the organization expanded early, preventative mental health supports for young women, regardless of GreenShield membership.
