New research links turnover intention to the psychological symptoms of menopause more than the physical ones — and makes the case that workplace support has to reach past hot flashes.
An experienced employee seems less confident. She contributes less in meetings, appears overwhelmed, or becomes unusually withdrawn. A manager notices the change but may not know how to respond.
There can be many explanations. Assuming disengagement closes the door to a useful conversation before it begins.
New research presented at The Menopause Society’s 2026 Annual Meeting in San Diego offers employers another reason to approach these situations carefully: psychological menopause symptoms may be associated with employees’ turnover intention — their thoughts about leaving their jobs.
Of everything the researchers measured, psychological symptom severity was the strongest independent predictor of turnover intention. Hot flashes and physical symptoms were not, once other factors were accounted for.
What the Turnover Intention Study Found
Researchers led by Dr. Mariko Ogawa of Fukushima Medical University examined survey responses from 1,631 perimenopausal and postmenopausal working women aged 45 to 60 in Japan. Symptoms were measured with the Menopause Rating Scale — the same instrument behind the recent hormone therapy and mood study — split into its psychological, somatic, and urogenital subscales. The analysis controlled for age, marital status, income, exercise habits, psychiatric history, caregiving responsibilities, and awareness of the need for treatment.
Psychological symptom severity showed the strongest independent positive association with turnover intention among the variables examined. Somatic and urogenital symptom scores, which were associated with turnover intention on their own, were no longer significant after statistical adjustment. Caregiving responsibilities dropped out the same way. Two factors ran the other direction: being married and having a low annual income were each associated with lower turnover intention, the latter likely because leaving is not financially possible.
This draws attention to an aspect of menopause that workplace conversations routinely overlook: the psychological burden. As Dr. Stephanie Faubion, medical director of The Menopause Society, put it, psychological symptoms may play a larger role in a woman’s decision to consider leaving the workforce than the symptoms employers usually plan around.
What the Study Does Not Show
The distinction between considering leaving and actually leaving is essential. The study measured turnover intention, not subsequent resignations. Its cross-sectional design also cannot establish that menopause symptoms caused those intentions rather than travelling alongside them.
These are findings from a conference abstract involving a specific population in one country. They should not be read as a prediction of turnover in every workplace, or as evidence that any particular support program prevents resignations. What they do is give employers a well-grounded reason to look harder at a part of the picture they tend to miss.
Support Has to Look Beyond Temperature
Fans, comfortable uniforms, and temperature adjustments are useful responses to individual needs. But an approach built only around visible physical discomfort leaves the symptoms most associated with turnover intention unaddressed.
The researchers’ own recommendation was that workplace efforts shift from environmental adjustments toward accessible medical care and psychological support. Their study did not test whether those interventions reduce turnover, but it gives employers a reason to examine whether employees can actually find appropriate help.
For employers, the practical question is broader than whether the workplace is comfortable: does an employee know where to turn when she is struggling, and can she ask for support without feeling judged?
Managers Should Listen Without Diagnosing
A change in behavior does not identify its cause. Managers should not assume an employee is experiencing menopause based on her age, appearance, mood, or performance.
Their role is to raise observable workplace concerns respectfully, listen to what the employee chooses to share, and explain the support that is available. A conversation might begin with:
“I wanted to check in and see how things are going. Is there anything at work that’s making things more difficult, or any support you’d like to discuss?”
This gives the employee room to describe her experience without being asked to disclose a medical condition. If she mentions menopause or another health concern, the manager can acknowledge what she has shared and help her connect with HR or the relevant benefits. Medical assessment and treatment decisions belong with qualified healthcare professionals.
Four Ways Employers Can Strengthen Support
1. Prepare managers for sensitive conversations. Training should give managers practical language for opening a conversation, responding to a disclosure, avoiding assumptions, and involving HR appropriately. It should also clarify how to handle sensitive information and where a manager’s role ends.
2. Make care and benefits easier to navigate. Employees should be able to find clear information about menopause care, mental health benefits, and employee assistance programs. Organizations can review whether their benefits communications explain where to start, whom to contact, and how the pieces fit.
3. Provide a clear route to workplace adjustments. An employee requesting support needs an understandable process. Depending on the situation, a discussion might cover appointment flexibility, breaks, or clearer written priorities, with the response reflecting her needs and her role. A workable policy makes that route visible before anyone needs it.
4. Include psychological symptoms in education. Menopause education should extend beyond hot flashes while avoiding the suggestion that all midlife distress is hormonal. The aim is to help employees recognize when to seek professional advice and help managers respond constructively. The mental health side of the transition is where turnover intention appears to take root, and it is the side most programs still skip.
These are practical steps employers can consider. They were not interventions evaluated in the Japanese study.
A Conversation Is a Starting Point
An informed conversation cannot replace clinical care, effective benefits, or a proper HR process. It can help an employee understand that support exists and identify a next step — which is often the difference between turnover intention and a resignation nobody saw coming.
The research offers a reason to broaden menopause support while leaving important questions about causation and effective retention interventions open. At TeltraCare, we help employers prepare through manager and HR training, employee education, accommodation frameworks, and access to menopause clinicians.
Start the Conversation Before She Starts Looking
Turnover intention is a signal, and it arrives before the resignation does. Explore how your organization can build a more informed approach to menopause and employee support — manager and HR training, employee education, accommodation guidance, and access to specialized care.
Source: Ogawa M. et al., “Factors Associated with Turnover Intention among Peri- and Postmenopausal Working Women: A Cross-Sectional Study Focusing on Psychological Symptoms,” Abstract P-95, The Menopause Society 2026 Annual Meeting, San Diego, October 20–24, 2026; and The Menopause Society’s summary. This article is general information, not medical or legal advice.