Zora Health / Employer guide / Canada
Support your experienced employees through menopause, and help them stay at their best.
Poor sleep, fatigue and brain fog can hit your most experienced employees at the height of their careers, and most say their employer offers no menopause support. Zora Health helps you build practical menopause support, from workplace policies and manager training to confidential care navigation and access to 128+ partner clinics in 16 countries, around your workforce and budget. Companies including Hilton, LinkedIn, Sanofi, HSBC, Mastercard, Carousell and Singapore Management University work with us.
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Five things Canada HR leaders should know
- The average age of menopause in Canada is 51. The employment rate for core-aged women (25 to 54) was 81.2% in July 2026.
- Menopause costs the Canadian economy an estimated C$3.5 billion a year, including C$237 million in lost productivity for employers and about 540,000 lost workdays.
- In the same 2022 survey of 1,023 women aged 40 to 60, 87% said their employer did not provide menopause support or they did not know if it did.
- British Columbia has covered listed menopausal hormone therapy in full for residents enrolled in MSP since 1 March 2026. Coverage elsewhere depends on provincial and private drug plans.
- Human rights laws protect against sex, age and disability discrimination, and federally regulated employees get up to 10 paid medical leave days a year. Menopause is not named in either.
Why menopause is a business problem for employers
Menopause rarely announces itself at work. It looks like a senior manager who slept four hours, a wave of heat in the middle of a client meeting, a word that will not come in front of the board. Symptoms come and go for years. Many women do not link them to menopause, and fewer tell their manager.
So the cost stays out of your reports. It shows up instead as:
- Lost income and productivity. A Menopause Foundation of Canada report estimated the cost of menopause at C$3.5 billion a year: C$237 million in lost productivity for employers and C$3.3 billion in lost income for women, with about 540,000 workdays lost (Menopause Foundation of Canada, October 2023). The survey of 1,023 women aged 40 to 60 was run by Leger, with economic analysis by Deloitte.
- Little employer support. In the same survey, 87% said their employer did not provide menopause support or they did not know if it did.
- Slow access to care. In a GreenShield survey by Ipsos, 55% said their employer provides no support and 33% waited more than two years for effective care (Global News, March 2026).
- Unequal access. Provincial plans such as OHIP cover medically necessary physician visits but not most prescription drugs outside hospital (Government of Ontario). Whether hormone therapy is free depends on the province and the employee’s drug plan.
What employers gain
Keep the people who know how your business runs
Replacing an employee costs one-half to two times their annual salary, according to Gallup. The employment rate for core-aged women reached 81.2% in July 2026, above the pre-pandemic average of 79.1% (Statistics Canada). A written policy, trained managers and quick access to the right doctor can help address barriers that contribute to employee attrition.
Stand out to experienced women
Women over 40 make up a quarter of the Canadian workforce, and employers including Sun Life, IKEA Canada, PwC Canada and BMO have joined the Menopause Foundation of Canada’s employer best-practice work (Menopause Foundation of Canada, October 2025). A clear menopause offer helps you compete for experienced women.
Make menopause support financially predictable
Aon projects Canadian medical trend at 8.3% for 2026, up from 7.4% in 2025 (Aon, via Benefits and Pensions Monitor). Much of what helps menopause costs very little: a flexible start time, a desk fan, a manager who knows what to say.
Zora helps employers set an annual allowance or top-up around provincial cover and your drug plan, so HR can run the programme within an agreed budget. The benefit works alongside your existing insurance.
Want to see what this would look like for your Canada workforce?
What menopause care costs, and what the state pays
Most menopause care in Canada is outpatient: a family doctor or nurse practitioner, a referral if needed, and medication. Physician visits are covered by provincial plans; drug coverage varies by province and employer plan.
| Item | Public support | What the employee still carries |
|---|---|---|
| Family doctor or specialist visit | Covered by provincial health insurance, for example OHIP in Ontario | Finding a clinician with menopause expertise can take time |
| Hormone therapy in British Columbia | Listed menopausal hormone therapy covered in full under Plan NP since 1 March 2026, for residents enrolled in MSP | Unlisted products are paid by the employee or a private plan |
| Hormone therapy in other provinces | Depends on provincial drug programmes; OHIP does not cover most prescription drugs outside hospital | Paid through an employer drug plan or out of pocket |
| Private virtual menopause care | No public subsidy | From C$99 for a first visit and C$40 for follow-ups at one online provider, plus medication |
| Time off for appointments | Federally regulated employees get up to 10 paid medical leave days a year | Provincial employees depend on provincial standards and employer policy |
Coverage from the Government of Ontario and Government of British Columbia; private fees from Felix; federal medical leave from Employment and Social Development Canada. These are published examples, not guaranteed current prices: actual costs depend on cover, clinic, doctor and treatment, so confirm fees with the provider before budgeting.
Support is the exception, not the rule. In a 2026 GreenShield and Ipsos survey, a third of women waited more than two years for effective menopause care.
Parliament is paying attention: the House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women is studying the labour force impacts of menopause and perimenopause (House of Commons, 2026). We have found no federal or Ontario workplace menopause guidance yet. For employers, the practical opportunity is to help employees recognise their symptoms, understand their options and reach appropriate clinical advice sooner.
Menopause support that fits your workforce and budget
You do not need to overhaul your existing health insurance to support employees through menopause. Start with awareness and manager education, add confidential one-to-one support, or introduce a fuller programme across your offices. There is no minimum company size.
Where included in the employer programme, eligible employees can use talks and care navigation without paying Zora a separate fee. Care navigation allowances are set in each proposal. Treatment and other third-party costs are paid separately, either by employees or through the allowance their employer provides.
Companies starting the conversation
Essentials
Expert-led talks for employees and managers, menopause policy templates, manager guides and full access to the Zora app. Up to 2 talks a year.
Employees supported one to one
Navigation
Everything in Essentials, plus confidential one-to-one care navigation and access to our partner clinic network.
Large teams across countries
Complete
Everything in Navigation, plus quarterly anonymised reporting, a dedicated account manager and scheduled review meetings with HR.
Optional add-ons can be added to any programme, subject to availability: hormone diagnostics and telehealth with specialists. Pricing is tailored to your headcount, your countries and the services you choose. Most companies start with a single talk.
Request a proposal See how Zora works for employers
Comparing menopause benefit providers? Use our RFP question bank
Our question bank has 40 questions for multi-country benefits teams, with why each one matters, what a good answer looks like and a scoring sheet for three providers. Six of the questions for menopause support in Canada:
- Is menopause support included as standard, or only fertility?
- What access do employees get to menopause specialists and hormone testing, and how quickly?
- How does the programme support accommodation duties under federal and provincial human rights codes across our Canadian provinces?
- Do you provide fertility and menopause policy templates for our markets?
- How can an employee get help confidentially without telling their manager?
- What individual-level data does HR see?
Your download link appears as soon as you submit. Zora Health may contact you about employee benefits; see our privacy policy.
Plan your menopause benefit budget
Menopause care allowance planner
Model the annual claims budget for a menopause care allowance. Change any number.
This is a claims budget, not a Zora quotation. Zora’s programme fees, implementation and optional services are separate.
It estimates the annual budget for a menopause care allowance from your eligible workforce, expected utilisation and allowance per employee, and assumes each user claims the full allowance. Eligible employees defaults to 15% as a stand-in for women aged 45 and over; use your own headcount data. The default allowance of C$800 is an illustrative figure for virtual or private consultations and medication not covered by provincial or employer plans. Utilisation is an editable assumption, not observed Zora data. For a proposal covering both programme costs and employee benefits, request an employer proposal.
Estimate the potential workforce impact of menopause symptoms
A rough planning scenario. It applies a published estimate to your headcount, so it is not a prediction for your workforce, a measured loss or a forecast of savings from any programme.
Range: C$39,044 to C$118,188 a year, depending on replacement cost.
Assumptions: 13.4% of working women aged 45 to 60 reported at least one adverse work outcome due to menopause symptoms, and those who missed work lost a median of 3 days a year (Faubion et al., Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 2023). This was a US clinic sample, so treat it as a rough benchmark for Canada. The default salary is close to average weekly earnings in Canada (C$1,337.77 in May 2026); use your own. Replacing an employee costs one-half to two times their annual salary (Gallup, 2019); the headline uses the low end. Absence is valued at salary divided by 250 working days. Exit rate is your own assumption.
Already have corporate health insurance? Here is where Zora fits
Your medical plan may cover some consultations and treatment. Employees still need to recognise their symptoms, understand their options and find a doctor who knows menopause care, and many never get that far.
Zora works alongside your existing insurance and benefits. We help employees get reliable information, navigate their care options and reach suitable specialists, and we give HR manager training, policy templates and, on the Complete programme, anonymised reporting. You strengthen menopause support without replacing your medical plan.
How Zora works
For your employees
Employees join the Zora app with a company code, or single sign-on for larger teams. They can learn about perimenopause and menopause, understand what your benefit covers, book a confidential care navigation call and find partner doctors and specialists.
For HR
- Kick-off, week 1. Agree goals, countries and which employees are eligible.
- Policy and benefit design, weeks 2 to 4. Draft or update your menopause policy and flexible work guidance using our templates.
- Launch, typically weeks 4 to 6. A launch talk for employees and managers, plus a communications pack for HR to send.
- Live support. Employees book care navigation calls and use the Zora app.
- Reporting, every 3 months, on the Complete programme. Anonymised usage, common themes and our recommendations, reviewed with your account manager.
Privacy
On the Complete programme, HR receives anonymised, aggregated reports only: how many employees used the programme, which services they used and the common themes. On every programme, HR never sees an individual employee’s health information, bookings or test results, and employees can get help without telling their manager. Employee data is stored on Amazon Web Services in Singapore and handled in line with Singapore’s Personal Data Protection Act.
Clinics and doctors in Canada
Zora’s clinic and doctor directory does not list providers in Canada yet. It lists 421 clinics and 1,185 doctors across 25 countries, mostly in Asia Pacific and the Middle East (browse clinics or browse doctors). Employees in Canada can still use Zora’s education and the Zora app. Ask us how your team in Canada would use Zora before you launch. See Zora’s employer guides for every country.
Rules and eligibility in Canada
Human rights law
The Canadian Human Rights Act lists sex, age and disability among prohibited grounds for federally regulated employers (Justice Laws), and provincial codes such as Ontario’s give similar protection, with a broad definition of disability (Ontario Human Rights Commission). Menopause is not named, so accommodation depends on the facts.
Federal medical leave
Federally regulated employees can take up to 27 weeks of protected medical leave, of which up to 10 days a year are paid. Employers can ask for a medical certificate for absences of five days or more (Employment and Social Development Canada).
Hormone therapy in British Columbia
Under Plan NP, British Columbia covers 100% of the cost of listed menopausal hormone therapy for residents enrolled in MSP, including estrogen patches, gels and oral estradiol and micronized progesterone (Government of British Columbia).
Parliamentary committee
The House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women adopted a study of the labour force impacts of menopause and perimenopause in January 2026 (House of Commons).
No menopause leave
We have found no federal or provincial law that provides menopause leave or requires a menopause policy. A written company policy is the clearest way to set expectations for managers.
Why employers choose Zora
Companies including Hilton, LinkedIn, Sanofi, HSBC, Mastercard, Carousell and Singapore Management University work with Zora Health. We work alongside your existing insurance, helping employees use the cover they already have and find suitable doctors and specialists based on their needs.
Zora Health helped me to reclaim my confidence to thrive at work!
Questions HR teams ask us
Do Canadian employers have to give menopause leave?
We have found no federal or provincial law that provides menopause leave. Employees use sick leave, medical leave, annual leave or flexible arrangements unless their employer offers more.
Is menopause protected under human rights law?
Not by name. Sex, age and disability are protected grounds federally and in the provinces, so severe symptoms or treatment linked to menopause may engage the duty to accommodate, depending on the facts.
Is hormone therapy free in Canada?
In British Columbia, listed menopausal hormone therapy has been covered in full since 1 March 2026 for MSP enrollees. Elsewhere it depends on provincial programmes and the employee’s drug plan.
How much paid medical leave do employees get?
Federally regulated employees get up to 10 paid medical leave days a year. Other employees depend on provincial employment standards and company policy.
Is the federal government acting on menopause at work?
The House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women is studying the labour force impacts of menopause and perimenopause, but no new workplace rules have been proposed.
Does Zora replace our health insurance?
No. Zora works alongside your insurance. We help employees understand their options, find suitable specialists and use the cover they already have.
How much does menopause support cost an employer?
It depends on the programme, any allowance and expected uptake. Use the budget planner on this page for a first estimate, then ask us for a tailored proposal based on your headcount and countries.
How quickly can we launch?
Typically 4 to 6 weeks from contract to launch, depending on scope and countries. Most companies start with a single talk.
Related guides for Canada employers
Build a menopause support programme for your team
Whether you are introducing menopause benefits for the first time or improving an existing programme, tell us your headcount, countries and priorities. We will come back within two working days with suitable services, an indicative budget and a practical rollout plan for your Canada team. No obligation.
Sources
- SOGC, Menopause hub
- Menopause Foundation of Canada, Menopause and Work in Canada, October 2023 (1,023 women aged 40 to 60, Leger; analysis by Deloitte)
- Menopause Foundation of Canada, Menopause support gains ground in Canadian workplaces, October 2025
- Global News, GreenShield and Ipsos menopause care survey, March 2026
- Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey, July 2026
- Statistics Canada, Payroll employment, earnings and hours, May 2026
- Government of Ontario, What OHIP covers
- Government of British Columbia, National pharmacare (Plan NP)
- Felix, Menopause programme pricing
- Canadian Human Rights Act
- Ontario Human Rights Commission, Guide to your rights and responsibilities
- Employment and Social Development Canada, Medical leave with pay
- House of Commons, Standing Committee on the Status of Women, meeting 44, June 2026
- Benefits and Pensions Monitor, Aon 2026 medical trend for Canada, January 2026
- Gallup, This fixable problem costs US businesses $1 trillion, 2019
- Mayo Clinic News Network, Faubion et al., Impact of menopause symptoms on women in the workplace, Mayo Clinic Proceedings, April 2023