Hot Flashes at Work? Here’s Why It Matters — and What You Can Do About It

Monique Addison, a former human resources professional from Pensacola, Florida, was in her mid-30s when she began the transition to menopause, complete with hot flashes and night sweats. According to The North American Menopause Society (NAMS), these vasomotor symptoms affect 75 percent of American women during perimenopause.

To beat the heat at work, Addison always wore short sleeves and made sure to be in reach of a fan as often as possible — tactics that did not go unnoticed by her colleagues.

“My coworkers would make comments,” says Addison, now 50, “like, ‘You’re hot? It’s freezing in here!” or ‘You’re too young for hot flashes!’”

Her managers and other leaders didn’t understand either, she says. And the hot flashes (and other menopause symptoms, including brain fog and fatigue due to poor sleep) affected her work. “You’re less productive when you don’t feel comfortable,” Addison says.

A Common Challenge

A survey presented at the 2022 annual meeting of NAMS revealed that 13 percent of more than 5,000 women ages 45 to 60 reported at least one negative work experience due to menopause symptoms. Eleven percent of the women surveyed said they had missed work during the previous year due to menopause. Those who had to take off missed an average of three days, typically because of psychological symptoms (such as anxiety or depression), but also because they were having hot flashes, night sweats, and sleep problems, says Stephanie Faubion, MD, director of Mayo Clinic’s Center for Women’s Health and medical director for NAMS.

Three days per year is not an insignificant amount of work to miss, considering the menopause transition lasts around seven to 10 (or more) years. According to Elektra Health, an organization that helps women navigate menopause, 87 percent of women say they’ve dealt with at least one symptom in the workplace. The experience was so difficult, some women left or considered leaving their jobs or didn’t pursue a promotion as a result.

Managing Menopause on the Job

If you’re struggling with hot flashes that hit at the exact wrong times — in the midst of a presentation, while face-to-face with a client, during a meeting with your boss — or have night sweats that rob you of the sleep you need to be able to concentrate and perform your best the next day, there are a few things you can do to manage your symptoms on the job:

Take a few deep breaths. Feel a hot flash coming on? Head to a private work space, isolated corner, or quiet room to do some deep breathing, suggests Jacqueline Giannelli, a board- and NAMS-certified family nurse practitioner and with Elektra Health, a menopause advocacy organization that (among other things) works with organizations to educate them on how to support employees going through menopause.

Deep breathing helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system — the part of the body that helps you relax — which may prevent a hot flash from taking over, she says. Giannelli recommends the 4-7-8 breathing pattern: Inhale through your nose for four counts, hold your breath for seven counts, and then exhale through your mouth for eight counts.

Keep your cool. Handheld and desk fans are your friends. Another option is to ask your workplace if you can sit next to a window you can open, says Giannelli. Dress in layers — light cardigans and jackets, for example — that you can easily take off when a hot flash ignites.

Rethink meals. Spicy foods and caffeine can trigger hot flashes, according to the National Institute on Aging. Skip the hot sauce and switch to decaf or herbal tea at coffee breaks.

Try adding cooked dried soybeans to your salads, soups, or curries. These legumes are rich in phytoestrogens (a compound similar to estrogen), and eating them has been linked to less frequent, less severe hot flashes, Giannelli says.

Walk it off. Escaping a stuffy office can bring relief. But there’s more to it than that. Exercise may also ease the severity of vasomotor symptoms, according to a review published in August 2022 in the journal Climacteric. Other research has found exercise can improve how well the body regulates temperature.

Be your own best advocate. Don’t be afraid to ask for accommodations, such as the flexibility to work from home or come in late if you need to sleep in after a restless night. Of course, it helps to work for a company that’s supportive of women in menopause.

“The onus shouldn’t be on the person with ovaries to take on all of the responsibility. It should be a collaborative effort,” says Giannelli.

Addison took this sentiment to heart. She felt her office should have had a more educated and accepting environment and eventually left her job to start her own company, Business Church Life, aimed at coaching and supporting women who are going through menopause.