Small Achievable Goals: What menopause at work actually looks like right now

Ten years ago, when I first started talking publicly about menopause, we simply weren’t having meaningful conversations about it — anywhere. Not socially. Not medically. And certainly not in the workplace. Most women were left to quietly navigate symptoms while trying to stay afloat, often assuming they were the problem.

Fast forward to today and something has shifted: Over the past decade, menopause has slowly but unmistakably entered the mainstream. We’re talking about it more openly, more honestly, and in more places, including at work. Women started talking, awkwardly and quietly, in corridors, over coffee, in the ladies’ loos. And then those conversations began to ripple outward. I know that I was nervous about saying menopause out loud at first, but once the cat was out of the bag, I realised it was easy, natural and necessary.

I work extensively with organisations, leaders, and employees, helping workplaces understand what menopause actually looks like in real life — not just in theory or in policy documents —  and how it affects women and the organisations they work for. 

Knowledge gives women agency and menopause is one of those life phases where knowledge really does matter, because it often arrives earlier, louder and more unpredictably than expected.- Amanda Thebe

According to the Menopause Foundation of Canada, there are more than 2 million working women in Canada between the ages of 45 and 55. Two thirds of those women surveyed said they would not feel comfortable talking with their supervisor or HR about menopause-related issues. Meanwhile, unmanaged symptoms impact the economy in a big way, costing companies an estimated $237 million in lost productivity and cost women over $3 billion in lost income each year. Menopause may even be a factor in the relative lack of women in senior leadership roles.

While policies matter, real change rarely starts there. It starts at the grassroots level, with those small conversations. That’s why CBC’s Small Achievable Goals resonates so deeply with me. The show reveals how social change really happens — not through grand declarations, but through honest, often awkward conversations that signal something bigger is stirring.

Awareness is growing but culture is still catching up

Menopause awareness is driven through community conversations, pop culture moments and shows like Small Achievable Goals, which gently but powerfully bring women’s lived experiences into the mainstream.

I recently spoke with co-creators and stars Jennifer Whalen and Meredith MacNeill who reflected on their show’s impact. “It opened the doors for women to be able to talk about things they hadn’t previously been able to talk about,” shared Whalen.

What I love most about the show is its refusal to sensationalize midlife. Instead, it normalizes it. Through humour, vulnerability and the relationship between lead characters Kris and Julie, it shows how conversations can open up, not because anyone has the answers, but because someone finally says, “this is happening to me too!”

In my own circles, Small Achievable Goals has sparked exactly the kind of conversations we need more of. Women recognize themselves. Laugh at moments that are painfully familiar. They cringe or cry because the awkwardness hits close to home. I still find myself deeply affected by how often women’s stories echo one another.

Watch | Jennifer Whalen reflects on the show's impact and her character

When I asked women in my network about their workplace experiences, their responses reflected this same mix of progress and pain. Many Gen X women arrived in perimenopause with no roadmap whatsoever. 

One woman told me: “My mum died young so the only reference I had was Kitty Forman in That ’70s Show throwing wild tantrums, which was funny in context, but didn’t portray menopause accurately as the all-encompassing series of changes your body and mind go through.”

Menopause at work: awareness without understanding

The workplace has quietly become the modern version of the church hall or wash-house, places where women once gathered to share stories and wisdom. Knowledge gives women agency and menopause is one of those life phases where knowledge really does matter, because it often arrives earlier, louder and more unpredictably than expected.

And yet, awareness without understanding can still cause harm. Menopause, aging and sexism are deeply intertwined. Even well-intentioned jokes can diminish women, reinforcing the idea that menopause makes us less capable or less professional. 

One woman shared: “There are throw-away comments about menobrain or memory lapses. I also witnessed a senior staff member suggest a colleague’s low mood ‘could be the menopause’ during a work discussion.”

Many senior leaders genuinely want to support their female employees, but good intentions don’t always translate into good outcomes. 

Then sometimes, workplace menopause conversations are mishandled entirely: “During winter I cracked a window for relief. The principal (a woman) told me I was wasting energy. So I wore sleeveless tops instead, and was chastised for dressing inappropriately. When I explained, she told me menopause wasn’t real. She was older than me.”

Watch | Reflecting on menopause on Small Achievable Goals

That sting is familiar to many women. A lack of compassion from male bosses can feel predictable, but it can hit harder when it comes from another woman.

Says another commenter in my network: “During the HRT shortage, I explained to my boss that my brain fog was severe. I was told my job was too important and I just needed to try harder. She was menopausal too.”

Perhaps it shouldn’t surprise us. Many women experience a lack of workplace support during pregnancy. It stands to reason that when perimenopause rolls around, the pattern repeats, different life stages, same structural blind spots.

Grassroots change and small achievable goals

So what do these stories tell us? 

Well to start with, allyship matters because menopause impacts us all (just ask my husband!). This is one of many angles Small Achievable Goals gets right. Women have been inspired to share their personal stories, says MacNeill. “I found it extremely moving, that they felt safe enough and proud enough to say, ‘this is what Kris and Julie went through’ and this is my experience.”

That gap between awareness and understanding is closing. And we close it through small, achievable actions — conversations that widen the ripple effect. Moving away from ageist and sexist tropes can propel us forward into policy change and create compassionate environments where women are supported, respected and retained.

Small achievable goals. That’s how real change shows up.

Watch now on CBC Gem.