Menopause awareness in the workplace for all employees

For all employees: understand menopause, talk about it respectfully and know what practical support can help at work.

For: All employees and colleagues in US workplaces, including people experiencing perimenopause or menopause and those who work alongside them

  • 2 contact hours
  • 8 modules
  • 9 interactives
  • 4 job aids
  • Updated October 11, 2026

What you will be able to do

  • Describe perimenopause, menopause and postmenopause, including early, premature and induced menopause, and identify who can be affected.
  • Recognize common menopause symptoms, how much they vary and how they can affect work.
  • Challenge myths and stigma and talk about menopause respectfully at work.
  • Identify practical workplace supports, self-help options and when to see a clinician, with awareness of treatment options but no medical advice.
  • Support colleagues respectfully and use benefits, EAP and basic legal protections, escalating to HR when needed.

Learn what perimenopause, menopause and postmenopause are, who is affected (including early, premature and surgical menopause) and how symptoms can affect work. You will practice respectful conversations, challenge common myths, explore practical workplace supports and learn when to talk to a clinician, without any medical advice.

For every employee: people going through menopause, colleagues, friends and team members of any age or gender. Scenarios come from a dispatch room, a county clerk's counter, a retail floor, a university admissions office and an airline call center.

Menopause affects a large share of the workforce, often for years, and silence costs people time, confidence and careers. This course replaces myths with accurate, current information, including recent FDA label changes and new state laws, and focuses on simple changes that help.

What you’ll be able to do Monday morning

  1. Use accurate words such as perimenopause and menopause, and drop "hormonal" jokes.
  2. Offer a colleague discreet, practical help such as covering a short break.
  3. Find your EAP number and health plan member services number.
  4. Name one specific change, such as a fan or uniform option, that would help you or a teammate.
  5. Keep any health information a colleague shares private.

Curriculum

8 modules · 32 lessons · about 2 contact hours

01What are perimenopause, menopause and postmenopause?Free preview14 min
  1. Three stages, one transition
  2. What is happening in the body, in plain terms
  3. Why menopause is a workplace topic
  4. Words that help
  • Matching activity: Menopause terms

Diagram · In practice checklist · 2-question knowledge check

02Who is affected, and why doesn't it always happen in the 50s?14 min
  1. Natural menopause and its timing
  2. Induced and surgical menopause
  3. Everyone who experiences menopause
  4. Colleagues, partners and the whole team
  • Sort activity: Who experiences menopause?

Diagram · In practice checklist · 2-question knowledge check

03What symptoms can menopause cause, and how much do they vary?15 min
  1. The most common symptoms
  2. Why experiences differ so much
  3. Symptoms that are easy to miss or misread
  4. Keeping track of symptoms
  • Sort activity: What might be going on?

Diagram · In practice checklist · 3-question knowledge check

04How can menopause affect someone's work?14 min
  1. What the research shows
  2. Where work and symptoms collide
  3. The hidden costs of silence
  4. Strengths and experience
  • Spot the issue: Spot the barriers in this workplace

Diagram · In practice checklist · 2-question knowledge check

05What myths and stigma surround menopause, and how do you talk about it at work?15 min
  1. Common myths, and what is actually true
  2. How stigma shows up
  3. Talking about menopause respectfully
  4. Being an ally when you hear a joke
  • Ethics dilemma: The "just a joke" moment

Diagram · In practice checklist · 2-question knowledge check

06What practical support can help at work, and what can you do for yourself?16 min
  1. Practical workplace supports: an overview
  2. Asking for support
  3. Self-help strategies that may ease symptoms
  4. Small changes for the whole team
  • Decision tree: Find a practical support

Diagram · In practice checklist · 2-question knowledge check

07What treatments exist, and when should someone see a clinician?15 min
  1. Why this is a conversation for a clinician
  2. Hormone therapy: what has changed
  3. Other options
  4. When to see a clinician
  • Spot the issue: Spot the inaccurate claims

Diagram · In practice checklist · 2-question knowledge check

08How can you support colleagues, use benefits and know your basic rights?16 min
  1. Supporting colleagues respectfully
  2. Benefits and the Employee Assistance Program
  3. Your basic rights at work
  4. Where to go for help
  • Branching scenario: Supporting Imelda
  • Self-assessment: How menopause-aware am I and my workplace?

Diagram · In practice checklist · 2-question knowledge check

Final assessment: 23 questions, 75% to pass, then your certificate

Try it now, no account needed

Supporting Imelda

A branching scenario from this course. Your choices are not saved.

Free sample activity

Supporting Imelda

You are a reservations agent on Imelda's team. During a busy afternoon you notice she is flushed, sweating and has just put a call on hold. What do you do?

Inside the course

Practice activities

  • Matching activity1
  • Sort activity2
  • Spot the issue2
  • Ethics dilemma1
  • Decision tree1
  • Branching scenario1
  • Self-assessment1

Job aids you keep

  • Menopause at Work: Everyday Support ChecklistChecklist
  • Symptom and Trigger LogLog
  • Conversation Prep Worksheet: Asking for SupportWorksheet
  • Menopause at Work: Quick ReferenceReference sheet

Credit and approval status

Certificate of completion

This course awards a certificate of completion for 2 contact hours of instruction. It is not approved or accredited by any licensing board, HR certification body or continuing education accreditor. If your employer or credential accepts self-reported learning, check with them whether this course qualifies and keep your certificate as a record.

Pathways we may pursue include pre-approval for HR professional development credits and IACET accreditation. Neither exists today; the course page will show an approval only after it is granted.

Our full approvals list

Questions about this course

Does this course award continuing education credit?

No. Completing it earns a certificate of completion for 2 contact hours of instruction. The course is not approved or accredited by any licensing board, HR certification body or accreditor. If your organization or credential accepts self-reported learning, check with them whether this course qualifies.

Who is this course for?

Everyone at work: people experiencing perimenopause or menopause, colleagues of any age or gender, and team members who want to be supportive. Managers and HR leaders should also take the companion course on menopause guidance for managers and HR, which covers legal duties and accommodation processes in depth.

Is this medical advice?

No. The course explains symptoms and treatment options in general terms so you can have better conversations with a clinician. It does not recommend any treatment. Always talk to a qualified healthcare professional about your own health.

Does it cover state laws?

It gives a short overview of federal laws and recent state and local developments, such as Rhode Island's 2025 menopause accommodation law and new protections in Illinois and Philadelphia from 2027. Rules vary by location, so check with HR or your state's civil rights agency.

How long does it take and what do I need to pass?

Plan on about two hours for eight modules, interactive exercises and a 23-question final assessment. You need 75% to pass, and you will see an explanation for each answer.

Will my employer see my answers to the self-check?

Self-check results are for your own reflection. The symptom log and conversation worksheet are personal tools; you decide whether to share them with anyone.

This course is general education and training awareness from CE Courses Hub on menopause in the workplace. It is not legal, medical or professional advice and does not replace your employer's policies, your licensing board's rules, or advice from a qualified professional. Completing it earns a certificate of completion for the stated contact hours; it is not approved or accredited by any licensing board, state agency or accreditor unless an approval is shown on the course page. Check with your board, employer or state agency whether this course meets your specific requirement.