CVS is first U.S. company to be named a 'menopause friendly' workplace

CVS Health has been named a “menopause-friendly” place to work for its over 300,000 employees.

The Menopause Friendly Accreditation from MiDOViA, a program that launched in the U.K. to improve workplaces for women in midlife, announced today that CVS Health is the first U.S.-based company on the list and will join a cohort of over 100 companies declared menopause-friendly.

The accreditation program launched in 2021 in the UK and last year in the U.S., encouraging companies to become members of the menopause friendly network to learn how to implement innovative changes to support women during midlife at work. After becoming a member, companies can apply for the accreditation, where an independent panel analyzes factors across a company’s culture, environment, policies, trainings, and employee engagement, according to the program’s website.

“Despite the impact menopause has on women’s health and well-being, many workplaces fall short when it comes to addressing it,” Dr. Joanne Armstrong, vice president and chief medical officer of women’s health and genomics at CVS Health, tells Fortune exclusively ahead of the announcement. “As a result, many women face unnecessary challenges that affect their well-being and productivity.”

CVS Health is a founding member of the U.S. accreditation program. A spokesperson for the company told Fortune its top spot was “earned, not paid,” noting that “there’s an independent advisory panel that evaluates companies that apply for the accreditation.”

Women in perimenopause and menopause are one of the fastest growing demographics. More than one million women reach menopause each year in the U.S. For women, many of whom are at the pinnacle of their careers in their forties and fifties, managing menopause at work can be daunting. Despite the growing cultural conversation on menopause, the stigma still persists, especially at work. One executive sums it up simply in a viral LinkedIn post. “As a woman, I didn’t want to add another stereotype to the list or show vulnerability or weakness. Not on this and not now, after having worked so hard to progress my career,” she wrote. Many workplaces do not recognize the need for innovative solutions to attract and retain a key cohort of employees. The Mayo Clinic estimated that menopausal symptoms cost $1.8 billion in lost productivity.

“Being menopause-friendly in the workplace starts with creating a supportive environment where employees experiencing menopause feel seen and heard,” Armstrong says. “It’s about providing support that can help them thrive and be as healthy as possible.”

Only a third of women say they feel comfortable talking about menopause at work, with two out of five looking for or securing a new job because of menopause symptoms, according to a study from the Society for Women’s Health Research (SWHR).

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Armstrong says that the Fortune 500 company, ranked No. 6, has an imperative to support their women employees as they age at work. “For many, it’s not an easy transition,” she says, adding the company is also investing in menopause training for CVS Health clinicians and care managers. For employees, it has created peer support groups and are offering educational resources for women in midlife.

Actress and advocate Halle Berry, who recently launched a menopause care platform, previously told Fortune that “community is everything” when it comes to feeling supported during this transition. “Scientifically, we know that when people can talk to other like-minded people and connect, they have better health outcomes,” she said.

It will take time to see if other American companies follow suit and the longer-term impact of this investment. But for now, Armstrong says she’s “proud to help lead change and hope other companies see this accreditation as a call to action and take a close look at what they can do to support women during this stage in their lives.”

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