Sen. Urso introduces bill to extend workplace protections to those experiencing menopause
STATE HOUSE — Sen. Lori Urso has introduced legislation to update fair employment practices to support women experiencing menopause.
“Menopause is a difficult and personal subject that has been stigmatized in this country.
But, it’s high time we normalize it, especially for the benefit of women in the workplace,” said Senator Urso (D-Dist. 8, Pawtucket). “Our current lack of workplace protections for women going through the menopause transition is both an equality issue, contributing to the gender pay gap, inadequate retirement savings and lost leadership opportunities for our female workers, and an economic drag on our state’s businesses, as employers face workforce shortages and risk losing female workers at the height of their institutional knowledge and skill.”
Rhode Island employment law already prohibits workplace and hiring discrimination related to pregnancy, childbirth and all related conditions.
This protection includes requiring workplaces to reasonably accommodate conditions related to pregnancy and childbirth, and protecting employees and prospective employers from being passed over for hiring or promotion or even being fired because of these same conditions.
Senator Urso’s bill (2025-S 0361) would add menopause to this list of protected conditions, encouraging support for women as they experience troublesome menopause-related conditions that they are often afraid or ashamed to disclose to managers and coworkers. If the bill passes, Rhode Island would be the first state to explicitly enshrine these protections into law.
Rep. Karen Alzate (D-Dist. 60, Pawtucket, Central Falls) will shortly introduce companion legislation in the House.
“Women’s health care is a vital component of a healthy workplace, and that is why it is critical to extend the fair employment practices law to cover menopause and menopause-related conditions. All workers should be treated with dignity and respect, regardless of their health status. On behalf of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO, thank you to Senator Urso for proposing this important update to our laws,” said Patrick Crowley, president of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO.
Women typically experience the menopause transition in their 40s or 50s, with symptoms lasting between three and seven years. During this transition, women may experience hot flashes, insomnia, night sweats, migraine headaches, heart palpitations, anxiety and panic, brain fog and other troublesome symptoms caused by declining estrogen.
For some women, these symptoms may be debilitating. Often women are unprepared for the onset and lack adequate advice and support.
LORI URSO
“Menopause is a natural and common phase in the lives of millions of individuals, but its impact and symptoms can have profound and long-lasting effects on a person’s health and daily life. The ACLU of Rhode Island supports this bill, which would make explicit that employers must provide reasonable accommodations to employees experiencing menopause, just as the law currently requires accommodations for various pregnancy-related conditions. By extending protections to those experiencing menopause, we can ensure that they are given the necessary accommodations to continue performing their jobs effectively,” said Madalyn McGunagle, policy associate at the Rhode Island ACLU.
In a survey of workplaces by the Society for Women’s Health Research, 70% of supervisors reported that their workplace had no formal menopause policies, and 36% of employees were unsure if any resources were available to them at their workplace. The same study showed that menopause symptoms caused one in four women to not pursue or consider not pursuing a leadership position at work, and two in five women considered or actually found a new job because of their symptoms.
“Addressing menopause in employment practices is crucial because it impacts employee well-being, retention and productivity, ultimately benefiting both employees and employers through better health outcomes and a more engaged workforce,” said Angela Lima, policy and advocacy program director for the Women’s Fund of Rhode Island.
A study by the Mayo Clinic found that menopause-related symptoms cost U.S. businesses $1.8 billion in lost productivity per year. A coauthor of the study said their findings showed that employers need to improve workplace policies to aid their female employees.
“Without protections, women are understandably reluctant to talk about this at work for fear that it could affect their job status, hurt their chances of a promotion or cause their coworkers to judge them,” said Senator Urso. “This silence isn’t a small issue: by my estimates we have almost 100,000 women in Rhode Island at any given time who may be navigating menopausal symptoms while they work.
That’s over 10 percent of our workforce. We have the opportunity to take the first step toward setting a nationwide example by protecting our workers, retaining our aging workforce and helping women achieve their highest potential.”