Loretta Dignam
Founder & CEO of Menopause Hub Academy
Women’s careers are shaped by hormonal realities that remain largely unaddressed — with significant consequences for retention, equality and performance.
For decades, workplace wellbeing has been framed as gender-neutral. Yet women’s working lives are shaped by biological realities, which influence health, confidence and career progression.
Often-unspoken reality shaping women’s working lives
Hormone-related health challenges affect women at every career stage. Irish research highlights the scale of the issue: 70% of women have taken time off due to period pain, yet 40% felt unable to tell their manager (Fórsa, 2022).
Following maternity leave, 37% of women don’t return to work within a year (CSO, 2023). Later in life, 32% of menopausal women report stepping back from promotion because of symptoms (The Menopause Hub, 2025). These experiences show up as absenteeism, reduced performance or “opting out,” often misattributed to a lack of ambition or resilience.
Much of the conversation has focused on menopause, and rightly so. But addressing menopause in isolation misses the bigger picture. Women’s hormone health isn’t a single life event; it’s a continuum. Challenges during menstruation or maternity can shape confidence, earning potential and retention long before menopause.
The 3Ms framework by Menopause Hub Academy — menstruation, maternity and menopause — equips employers with education, training, policy development and practical tools to support female colleagues across the working lifespan, not as a benefit or perk, but as a core workplace consideration that intersects with equality, compliance and organisational performance.
Employers who fail to recognise hormone health risk widening pay gaps and
losing experienced staff; those who respond thoughtfully
stand to improve retention, engagement and trust.
Why workplaces must adapt
Women’s employment in Ireland is at a record high, with more than 1.3 million women in the workforce (CSO, 2024). Simultaneously, gender pay gap reporting is now mandatory in Ireland for organisations with 50+ employees and expectations around health-inclusive workplaces are rising.
Employers who fail to recognise hormone health risk widening pay gaps and losing experienced staff; those who respond thoughtfully stand to improve retention, engagement and trust.
Rethinking women’s hormone health at work is not about special treatment. It’s about designing workplaces that reflect the realities of their workforce — and ensuring women can thrive, not just endure, at every stage of their careers. Is your workplace ready?
