When Menopause Came to Work With Me

Nearly three years ago, I left my corporate job. On paper, it was everything I wanted: a startup with a flexible culture, a great bunch of people, and a boss I respected and had worked with before. My first day coincided with Singapore’s lockdown in June 2020, and despite the strange circumstances, I was excited.

Fast forward to December 2022, and my anxiety about work had spiraled. It was a startup, so responsibilities shifted constantly, things were intense, and the pace was fast. But here’s the thing: I liked the culture, I valued the flexibility, and I genuinely enjoyed working with my colleagues.

And yet, I couldn’t sleep. I worried about work all the time. It took over my life. I felt I wasn’t doing a good enough job — not that others thought that — and eventually, I resigned. Just like that.

The Workplace Connection

Soon after I left, I started coaching in the transition space (I had previously worked as a corporate counsellor), supporting women navigating big life changes of their own. I was also reading widely about menopause in the workplace — a subject that resonated deeply, especially in Singapore, where the workforce skews young. I was often the oldest in the room, both in this company and the one before it.

I kept coming across the statistics: women turning down promotions, stepping back from leadership, actively looking for less stressful roles, and in some cases, resigning altogether. Still, I didn’t connect the dots to my own journey. Not until one day it landed with full force: I was one of them. I was one of the one in ten women who leave their jobs because of menopause symptoms.

“But I’m Doing Everything Right”

Here’s the kicker: by then I was already well versed in perimenopause and menopause. I thought I had this. I had already started HRT, albeit at a low dose, and I’d seen real improvement in some of my physical symptoms. I exercised. I ate pretty well. Sleep wasn’t great, but it wasn’t terrible either. I ticked most of the boxes we’re told will keep us healthy and resilient through midlife.

And still, the anxiety had crept in. The kind that slowly takes over, clouding everything, until it no longer feels like a “symptom” — it just feels like you. That’s the piece I didn’t expect, and the one that hit hardest when work stress piled on top of hormonal change. It started early in my role, but I brushed it off as nerves. I would literally forget words in the middle of presentations — and I was doing plenty of public speaking at the time.

My Reflection

Looking back, leaving my job wasn’t just about work. It was about the collision of perimenopause with a stage of life that was already demanding. And I know I’m not alone. I hear it from my clients all the time: women who doubt themselves, women who wonder why they’re suddenly struggling when they’ve coped with far worse before, women who quietly step back from careers they’ve worked decades to build.

It’s not weakness. It’s not lack of resilience. It’s the reality of perimenopause and menopause intersecting with life and work. And until we talk about it openly — in workplaces, in healthcare, and with each other — women will keep leaving, silently, one by one.

I was one of them. And now I want to make sure fewer women have to be.

Resources & Further Reading

📄 Reports & Research

🎧 Podcasts & Multimedia

A Note for Employers & Leaders

If you work in HR or leadership, this is where change can start. Menopause support isn’t just a “nice to have” — it’s a retention strategy, a wellbeing policy, and a step toward equity in the workplace. Explore the resources above, listen to women’s stories, and start the conversation in your organisation. Because when women leave due to menopause, workplaces lose experience, talent, and leadership that they can’t afford to lose.

OMG: The Women's Health Brief