Menopausal, perimenopausal women to get new workplace support in WA executive order
Gov. Bob Ferguson announced a new executive order Monday aimed at supporting women experiencing menopause and perimenopause in the workplace.
Ferguson was joined by Brittany Gregory, executive director of the Washington State Women’s Commission, as well as medical professionals, policy leaders and labor representatives.
The governor said support for women experiencing menopause is an issue of equity and fairness. Even though state law protects people against workplace discrimination, he said, “we should not be relying on a patchwork of employer accommodations” to plan for something that affects roughly 50% of the population.
“We must do more to support women and to support employers who want to keep their experienced staff in the workforce,” Ferguson said at the June 1 news conference at Armoire, a Seattle-based women’s clothing rental membership.
The executive order aims to bolster the state economy and support women and their families by creating standards for menopause workplace accommodations, Gregory noted at the news conference.
Ferguson said he’s directing the state’s women’s commission to work with cabinet agencies to update or adopt policies to support menopausal workers, and to identify best practices. The commission will also be tasked with devising training materials focused on accommodations.
In addition, the commission will make sure cabinet agencies, employees and management are trained on their responsibilities and rights, he said. The commission will work with health-focused agencies on coming up with resources and guidance for other private and public employers statewide, and alongside medical boards and the state Department of Health to offer “training credits on menopause education for healthcare providers.”
Menopause signifies the end of a woman’s reproductive years and occurs on average when she is 52, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Perimenopause hits before menopause and can extend for years, according to the clinic. Estrogen levels start to drop during this time, and women may endure irregular periods, hot flashes or other menopause-like symptoms.
The commission will work in tandem with state agencies to strengthen workplace practices and policies, with recommendations to include measures like flexible dress codes, telework options and access to temperature control and cold water, according to a June 1 news release from the governor’s office.
Research shows that Asian, Black and Latina women are prone to start menopause sooner than their white female counterparts, the release says. The same is true of women in rural areas versus those living in urban environments.
The Mayo Clinic has put a price tag on estimated productivity losses because of symptoms of menopause: about $1.8 billion nationwide, according to the release.
Due to menopausal symptoms, 40% of women have either considered exiting or have left the workforce, the release says. A quarter “considered not pursuing or did not pursue a leadership opportunity as a result,” per the Society for Women’s Health Research.
Gregory said the commission’s work on this issue began late last year after it started hearing stories from women that they had “nowhere to turn” amid symptoms like panic attacks and heart palpitations, and that their workplaces did not offer accommodations.
Some 600,000 women between ages 40 and 59 work in Washington while navigating perimenopause, menopause and postmenopause, she said.
“By issuing an executive-level directive to create standards for menopause accommodations in the workplace, we become one of the first states to say that women should not have to suffer in silence,” Gregory said. “That is important, and that is something that we should be proud of.”
April Haberman, CEO and founder of the midlife wellness-focused organization MiDOViA, said at the news conference that some menopausal women reduce hours or miss work. She said 10% of women quit work altogether because of such symptoms.
Women “are suffering in silence and stigma” for fear of losing their jobs, Haberman said. Workplaces don’t have the proper structural supports and policies to adequately help, she said.
Cherika Carter, secretary-treasurer of the Washington State Labor Council AFL-CIO, said at the conference that even though millions of women experience menopause, it’s still a largely invisible workplace issue.
“For unions this issue is about dignity, retention, and worker power,” she said. “We should not be losing skilled, experienced workers from our workplaces because we failed to create environments where they can thrive.”
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with additional information about the executive order and menopausal and perimenopausal women in the workforce, and with additional comments from Brittany Gregory, April Haberman and Cherika Carter.
This story was originally published June 1, 2026 at 11:16 AM with the headline "Menopausal, perimenopausal women to get new workplace support in WA executive order."
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