Canada's Workplaces Weren't Designed for Menopause -- and the Leadership Costs Are Emerging
New National Program Examines the Retention, Governance, and Legal Risks Linked to Workplace Gap
TORONTO, Feb. 18, 2026 /CNW/ - Unmanaged menopause symptoms are estimated to cost the Canadian economy approximately $3.5 billion annually in lost productivity, according to research from the Menopause Foundation of Canada.
The cost does not reflect declining capability.
It reflects workplace systems that have not kept pace with workforce demographics.
"For the first time in history, large numbers of women are reaching senior leadership while navigating menopause and perimenopause," said Jill Mayer, Founder of LEV Continuing Education. "This is not a performance issue. It's an institutional design issue. Our workplaces were built for a different demographic reality -- and the gap is now significant."
LEV Continuing Education is launching a national program urging employers to address menopause as a workforce sustainability, retention, and risk-management priority.
A Leadership Moment Many Organizations Miss
Consider a common but rarely discussed scenario:
A senior executive with decades of institutional knowledge begins experiencing severe sleep disruption. Cognitive sharpness varies from week to week. She compensates by working longer hours. She does not disclose the reason -- there is no language for it within the organization.
Performance metrics remain strong. But exhaustion accumulates. Confidence erodes. The workplace offers no structural support.
Eventually, she declines a larger leadership role or leaves earlier than planned.
The organization records it as normal attrition.
What the organization has actually lost is succession continuity, strategic depth, and years of institutional knowledge and accumulated expertise.
This is not a story of diminished talent.
It is a story of systems that failed to adapt.
A Demographic Shift with Institutional Consequences
Statistics Canada data show that labour force participation among women aged 55 to 64 has increased markedly over time, underscoring the workforce importance of experienced, later-career women.
Many occupy executive, partnership, governance, and senior management roles.
At the same time, the World Health Organization recognizes menopause as a significant life stage that may involve sleep disruption, cognitive variability, social, psychological and physical symptoms.
The intersection of these realities is new.
"Our leadership models assume uninterrupted productivity," Mayer said. "But predictable biological transitions are part of a modern workforce. When institutions fail to account for that, they risk losing precisely the people they have invested most heavily in developing."
The Silence Gap
Research cited by the Menopause Foundation of Canada indicates that many working women report menopause symptoms affecting their work experience, yet the majority say they would not feel comfortable raising the issue with supervisors or HR.
Without policy clarity or leadership literacy, managers are left without guidance, and employees are left without language.
The result can be avoidable attrition and unnecessary legal exposure.
Economic and Legal Implications
The estimated economic impact includes hundreds of millions in employer productivity costs and significant lost workdays annually, as reported by the Menopause Foundation of Canada.
Replacing a senior leader can cost up to twice their annual salary when recruitment, transition disruption, and knowledge transfer gaps are considered.
In certain circumstances, severe menopause-related symptoms may also engage Canadian human rights protections under disability, sex, or age frameworks. Employment law updates have noted tribunal decisions addressing menopause-related complaints within protected-ground analysis.
"The risk isn't menopause," Mayer said. "The risk is outdated assumptions about what leadership continuity looks like. Organizations that modernize will retain talent. Those that don't may experience preventable loss."
From Blind Spot to Strategic Advantage
Forward-looking employers are beginning to treat menopause as:
- A retention and succession issue
- A governance oversight matter
- A psychological safety indicator
- A leadership sustainability consideration
LEV's new program, Menopause and Perimenopause in the Modern Workplace: Law, Ethics, and the Leadership Imperative, equips HR leaders, legal counsel, executives, and governance professionals with:
- Legal clarity under Canadian human rights law
- Risk assessment frameworks
- Policy and training guidance
- Leadership communication strategies
- Succession protection insights
Registration information is available at:
https://levcontinuingeducation.com/programs/menopause-and-perimenopause-in-the-modern-workplace-law-ethics-and-the-leadership-imperative/
About LEV Continuing Education
LEV (Leadership, Ethics, Vision) Continuing Education develops interdisciplinary programs for legal, corporate, and governance leaders navigating complex workforce realities shaping modern professional life.
LEV equips institutions to evolve -- responsibly and intelligently.
SOURCE LEV Continuing Education
Media contact: Jill Mayer, Founder, LEV Continuing Education, [email protected]
Share this article