Menopause as an expiration date: the experience of female leaders

Abstract

Menopause is a natural biological transition affecting a growing number of women in the labor market. Associated with female aging, it remains a marginalized topic, marked by invisibilities and taboos within organizations and under-explored in organizational research. The objective of this study is to investigate this theme as a symbolic boundary for women, an “expiration date” that renders female experiences invisible and delegitimizes them, negatively impacting performance and gender equity. Interviews were conducted with women over 40 across various sectors, as well as health professionals and people managers. Content analysis was used to construct four analytical categories: menopause as a taboo in the work environment; gender differences in treatment during aging; career impact and the female “expiration date”; and the lack of organizational policies. The findings highlight the importance of recognizing menopause as a strategic occupational health and equity issue in organizations, overcoming the malestream bias that obscures the specificities of the female work experience, resulting in stigma and talent loss. Therefore, the condition must move beyond being a “private taboo” to become a strategic occupational health and equity agenda, aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations (UN). Recognizing the limitation of not having deepened race and class variables, the article proposes a future research agenda that encompasses intersectionality, corporate economic impact, manager perceptions, and the inclusion of diverse gender identities, aiming to deconstruct this age stigma — “expiration date” — imposed on female careers.