Female leaders at Canada's top insurers call out systemic gaps in menopause awareness and benefits
Several leaders from insurers believe menopause consistently remains a blind spot in many workplace health strategies, despite being a life stage that directly affects millions of working women and, by extension, the performance and wellbeing of their employers.
To recognize Menopause Awareness Month, Kerry Swetnam and Tara Anstey are both pushing for more intentional support for women navigating menopause, particularly when it comes to expanding access to care.
As senior manager of pension, benefits & disability management at Co-operators, Swetnam is keenly aware of the demographic reality shaping the workplace. Notably, over a third of the organization’s employees are women aged 40 and above. That figure alone underscores why menopause needs to be addressed within the company’s health and wellness strategy, she said.
“We have to recognize that every woman's journey is going to look quite differently in how they experience this, whether that’s the physical or emotional symptoms, they're going to affect everybody differently and impact various areas of their life, including work,” said Swetnam.
For Swetnam, expanding access to menopause care starts with creating awareness as she stressed that women need to feel safe speaking up before they can be properly connected to available support. Without that open dialogue, many employees aren’t even aware of what’s already included in their benefits.
“Women are just not understanding the benefits or they're looking for one specific standalone coverage, such as hormone replacement therapy,” she noted.
She also pointed to acknowledging self-awareness. Notably, colleagues and leaders alike need to check their assumptions and be mindful of how they respond to others.
For example, “If somebody says, 'Oh, I'm having a hot flash' and you hear somebody chuckle or laugh, perhaps that's not the most appropriate response,” she said, adding that creating a safe, respectful space where employees feel heard is fundamental to meaningful support.
At Co-operators, flexible work is a key part of that strategy. Swetnam emphasized that the ability to work from home can ease some of the more disruptive symptoms of menopause, like fatigue, sleep disturbances, and temperature sensitivity.
Still, she emphasized that flexibility needs to be paired with inclusive design in the physical workplace. This includes small but important changes like offering temperature-controlled spaces, access to fans, and sanitary products in restrooms.
Anstsey, director of business development for client value at Medavie Blue Cross, emphasized that when women feel genuinely supported by their employers, they’re more likely to perform at their best but meaningful support can look different for everyone. That’s why she advocates for a range of strategies tailored to diverse needs.
Reducing stigma around menopause starts with informed, open dialogue. Anstey suggested that employers should “foster informed conversations about women’s health, especially menopause,” through initiatives like town halls, expert-led sessions, and sharing credible information from groups such as the Menopause Foundation of Canada and the Canadian Menopause Society.
One of the ways Medavie Blue Cross is supporting women is through their Women’s Health Solutions program, explained Antsey, a partnership with sanoLiving to enhance support for women navigating menopause and midlife hormonal shifts.
The collaboration offers their plan members access to personalized, evidence-based care designed specifically for this life stage, which includes individual consultations with clinicians who specialize in menopause care, customized insights powered by advanced AI tools and peer support groups to share experiences and build community.
As part of its inclusive benefits strategy, Co-operators has prioritized flexible, holistic coverage that supports women across their career lifespan. This includes 100 per cent coverage of mental health practitioners up to $5,000 per year, access to paramedical services like acupuncture and naturopathy, and health and personal spending accounts to cover non-traditional care options.
Additionally, the firm plans to roll out virtual healthcare services in 2026, enhancing access to preventative care and specialist consultations from home.
For Antsey, she acknowledged there’s a systemic failure in how menopause is understood and treated, both in the healthcare system and in the workplace. She was quick to point to decades of inadequate research and outdated medical education have contributed to a lingering stigma, leaving many women without access to effective care.
“Many physicians lack up-to-date knowledge and resources to treat menopause, and outdated studies have led to fear and confusion around effective therapies like Menopause Hormone Therapy (MHT),” she noted.
Swetnam acknowledged that stigma around menopause still lingers in the workplace, but she’s beginning to see signs of change. Over the past year, more women at Co-operators have started speaking up, which has encouraged broader discussions across the organization.
These conversations are increasingly taking place on internal platforms like the firm’s intranet, where employees are beginning to share experiences and ask questions more openly. Still, Swetnam believes the dialogue needs to go further. She wants to see men included in the conversation too.
“Men are also impacted by the challenges that these women may be going through. By creating more awareness, we create more empathy which benefits all of us,” she said.
Still, challenges remain, particularly around the lack of awareness among employees about the breadth of support available, particularly for conditions like chronic illness that can be exacerbated during menopause, noted Swetnam. Moreover, internalized stigma and workplace silence often keep women from seeking help or even putting themselves forward for advancement.
“Over half of women say they’re uncomfortable discussing menopause with their employer, and only 24 per cent report having access to a health and wellness program,” Anstey noted, emphasizing this isn’t just as health gap but also an equity issue that employers need to confront directly.
"I recently spoke with someone who didn’t apply for a leadership role because of health challenges linked to menopause," Swetnam noted. “We need to engage senior leaders and executives in the conversation so that we can support women going through menopause in the same way that we have come so far in supporting women through reproductive health,” asserted Swetnam.
