Menopause Equity in the Workplace
An initiative to ensure people navigating perimenopause and menopause can access the support and accommodations they need at work.
Addressing Menopause-Related Workplace Accommodations
On June 1st, 2026, Governor Bob Ferguson announced and signed Executive Order 26-01, shattering the silence around menopause in the workplace.
EO 26-01 aims to set a standard for how we support and retain women at the height of their careers and expand perimenopause and menopause education for health care providers.
Read the announcement
Understanding Executive Order 26-01
Executive Order 26-01 affirms that perimenopause and menopause may warrant protection under state law. It also and directs the Women’s Commission to work with state agencies to implement workplace accommodations for menopause.
Does this order alter state law?
I am a state employee. Does this order change my current reasonable accommodation requests?
I am not a state employee. How does this order apply to me?
About Menopause
The Natural Transition
Menopause occurs when a person has gone 12 consecutive months without a menstrual period. In the United States, the average age for menopause is 52. Symptoms often begin 2–8 years before menopause during the perimenopause phase and may continue for 4–5 years after the final menstruation, in the postmenopause phase.
Sources: (World Health Organization, 2024), (Office on Women’s Health, 2025), (Freeman, 2015).
About Menopause
Population Impact
Over 75% of people maintain employment during and years after their menopause transition through post-menopause. Approximately 38% of the individuals in Washington who experience menopause fall within the 40-59 age range and are actively employed.
Sources: (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2022). (DataUSA, 2023).
Supports Available Now
Guidance for Employers and Employees
The Women’s Commission Health Committee designed one-page guides to help employers and employees integrate menopause equity in the workplace.
NOTE: These documents were not created through Executive Order 26-01. Additional resources will become available throughout implementation of the Executive Order.