Open enrollment for workplace health coverage is upon us, and a new benefit has been growing in popularity: accommodations to help workers going through menopause. A recent survey from benefits consultant NFP found that 4% of employers that offer sick leave also offer additional support for menopausal workers — with many more organizations open to the idea.

Women between the ages of 45 and 64 make up nearly a fifth of the American workforce. These prime working years often coincide with menopause, which comes with symptoms that can last over a decade.

One of the most common is hot flashes. “It can be so intense, we call it severe if it stops you in your tracks,” said Dr. Stephanie Faubion, who directs the Mayo Clinic’s Center for Women’s Health and is medical director of the Menopause Society.

Other symptoms can include moodiness, trouble sleeping and joint pain. It can affect how women perform in all kinds of jobs, Faubion said.

“If you’re having hot flashes during a board meeting and you’re having brain fog and you didn’t sleep well last night, all of that can be a problem,” she said.

Now, more employers want to help with that problem by providing menopause-specific benefits, such as flexible time off, counseling and hormone therapy. 

There’s a huge payoff for employers that do this, noted Maria Trapenasso, author of that new study from NFP.

“These are your most seasoned workers,” she said. “They are the employees that have wisdom, they’re usually mentoring other employees, they run departments.”

By supporting these workers, she added, employers don’t have to replace them.