Zora Health / Employer guide / Hong Kong
Support your experienced employees through menopause, and help them stay at their best.
Mood swings, fatigue and poor sleep can hit your most experienced employees at the height of their careers, yet most keep working through their symptoms and few tell their manager. 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.
Book an employer consultation Explore the cost calculator
Five things Hong Kong HR leaders should know
- The average age of menopause in Hong Kong is 51, and perimenopause usually begins between 40 and 49. Women aged 25 to 54 had a labour force participation rate of 74% in 2025, so many of your women employees will go through it while working.
- In a 2025 survey of 395 professional women in Hong Kong, 83% said menopause symptoms affect their work, yet 73% do not take sick leave for them.
- In the same survey, 77% had not discussed menopause with their manager or did not feel comfortable doing so.
- Routine gynaecology referrals to public specialist clinics waited a median of 28 to 61 weeks for a first appointment between October 2025 and September 2026, depending on the hospital cluster.
- There is no statutory menopause leave, no legal right to request flexible work and no age discrimination law. Statutory sick pay only applies when sick leave lasts four or more days in a row.
Why menopause is a business problem for employers
Menopause rarely announces itself at work. It looks like a team head who slept four hours, a wave of heat in the middle of a client meeting, a short temper on a deadline that is out of character. Symptoms come and go for years. In AXA’s 2026 survey of working women in Hong Kong, more than a quarter believed symptoms only start once periods have stopped, so many women do not connect what they feel to menopause, and fewer tell their manager.
So the cost stays out of your reports. It shows up instead as:
- Work affected, without sick leave. In The Menopause Space’s 2025 Menopause at Work survey of 395 professional women in Hong Kong, 83% said perimenopause or menopause symptoms affect their work, and 73% do not take sick leave for them (Human Resources Online, November 2025). The symptoms they found most bothersome included genitourinary symptoms, mood changes and brain fog, joint and muscle pain, and exhaustion.
- Silence with managers. In the same survey, 48% had not discussed menopause with their manager and a further 29% felt uncomfortable raising it. Only 23% had talked to their manager about their experience.
- Few get medical help. In the AXA Hong Kong Female Health Survey 2026 of working women aged 30 to 54, 37% were experiencing or had experienced perimenopausal symptoms. Among those affected, only 41% had sought professional medical advice or treatment, while 68% turned to social media, online resources, friends or family (Human Resources Online, July 2026).
- Long public waits. Public specialist fees are low for Hong Kong identity card holders, but routine gynaecology referrals waited a median of 28 to 61 weeks for a first appointment in the year to September 2026 (Hospital Authority). Employees who want to be seen sooner pay private rates.
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. Women aged 25 to 54 in Hong Kong had a labour force participation rate of 74% in 2025, up from 66% in 2005, excluding foreign domestic helpers (Labour and Welfare Bureau, July 2026), so more of your experienced women will work through menopause. 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
In The Menopause Space’s survey, 67% of professional women wanted menopause support from their employer, led by access to a menopause expert, awareness education for all staff, supportive managers, flexible working and a formal menopause policy. In AXA’s survey, 91% said employers can help women manage menopause and 96% said workplace support would benefit both employers and employees. In Mercer’s survey of 5,200 employees across Asia, 54% said it is important for their employer to support women’s issues.
Make menopause support financially predictable
Much of what helps costs very little: a flexible start time, a desk fan, a manager who knows what to say. The medical side is mostly outpatient care, such as a family doctor or gynaecologist review and, where suitable, hormone therapy.
Zora helps employers set an annual allowance or outpatient top-up around local private consultation costs and the public fees your employees already pay, 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 Hong Kong workforce?
What menopause care costs, and what the state pays
Most menopause care in Hong Kong is outpatient: a family doctor visit, a gynaecology or menopause clinic if needed, and medication. Public fees are low for Eligible Persons, mainly Hong Kong identity card holders, but routine specialist appointments involve long waits.
| Item | Public support | What the employee still carries |
|---|---|---|
| Hospital Authority family medicine clinic | HK$150 a visit plus HK$5 per drug item for each four weeks, for Eligible Persons | Non-eligible persons pay HK$500 a visit and HK$40 per drug item |
| Hospital Authority gynaecology specialist clinic | HK$250 a visit plus HK$20 per drug item for each four weeks, for Eligible Persons, with a HK$10,000 annual cap on public fees | Routine referrals waited a median of 28 to 61 weeks for a first appointment; non-eligible persons pay HK$850 a visit |
| Family Planning Association menopause service | Non-profit service: menopause assessment and check-up from HK$350, plus a HK$80 nurse fee | Hormone therapy HK$150 to HK$400 a cycle; bone density scan HK$600 |
| Private gynaecologist | No public subsidy | HK$1,000 to HK$2,000 for a first specialist consultation at CUHK Medical Centre, before tests and medication |
| Time off for appointments | No statutory menopause leave | Statutory sick pay only for sick leave of four or more days in a row; otherwise annual leave or unpaid time unless the contract offers more |
Fees as published by the Hospital Authority (effective 1 January 2026), the Family Planning Association of Hong Kong and CUHK Medical Centre (from 1 August 2026). Waiting times: Hospital Authority, 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2026. These are published examples, not guaranteed current prices: actual costs depend on eligibility, clinic, doctor and treatment, so confirm fees with the provider before budgeting. Sick pay rules: Labour Department.
Most working women with symptoms have not seen a doctor about them. In AXA’s 2026 survey, only 41% of those affected had sought professional medical advice or treatment.
Hong Kong has no national menopause guidance for workplaces, and we have found no menopause guidance from the Labour Department or the Equal Opportunities Commission. For employers, the practical opportunity is to help employees recognise their symptoms, understand their options across public, non-profit and private care, 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 Asia
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
Most RFP templates were written for the US. Ours has 40 questions written for Asia, 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 Hong Kong:
- 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 help us handle sick leave and reasonable accommodation under the Employment Ordinance and the Disability Discrimination Ordinance in Hong Kong?
- 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 HK$6,000 roughly covers a private gynaecologist consultation, a follow-up and some months of hormone therapy. 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: HK$167,333 to HK$506,520 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 Hong Kong. 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 Hong Kong
Zora’s directory lists 12 clinics and 21 doctors in Hong Kong. Of these clinics, 7 list menopause care among their services.
Employees can browse clinics in Hong Kong and find a doctor in Hong Kong on the Zora app. The directory is for information only and is not an endorsement. See Zora’s employer guides for every country.
Rules and eligibility in Hong Kong
Sick leave and sickness allowance
Under the Employment Ordinance, employees on a continuous contract earn 2 paid sickness days a month in their first year and 4 a month after that, up to 120 days. Sickness allowance is four-fifths of average daily wages and is only payable when sick leave lasts at least four consecutive days and is supported by a medical certificate. An employer must not dismiss an employee on a paid sickness day, except for summary dismissal for serious misconduct; the fine is up to HK$100,000 (Labour Department).
More part-time employees on continuous contracts
An employee now has a continuous contract after four weeks with the same employer if they work at least 17 hours a week, or 68 hours over four weeks, down from 18 hours a week. More part-time employees therefore build up paid sickness days (Labour Department).
Disability and sex discrimination
Menopause is not named in Hong Kong’s anti-discrimination law. The Disability Discrimination Ordinance defines disability broadly, including total or partial loss of bodily or mental functions, so whether severe symptoms are covered will depend on the facts. Before deciding that an employee with a disability cannot do the job, an employer should consider reasonable accommodation, unless it would cause unjustifiable hardship (Equal Opportunities Commission, Code of Practice on Employment). The Sex Discrimination Ordinance also applies to decisions made because of sex.
Age and flexible work
There is no age discrimination law in Hong Kong, only the Labour Department’s voluntary Practical Guidelines for Employers on Eliminating Age Discrimination in Employment. There is also no statutory right to request flexible work. In July 2026 the Government said it would keep encouraging family-friendly employment practices rather than legislate (LegCo reply). Base performance and promotion decisions on documented, job-related reasons.
No statutory menopause leave
There is no menopause leave and no legal duty to have a menopause policy. We have found no menopause guidance from the Labour Department or the Equal Opportunities Commission, so 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 Hong Kong employers have to give menopause leave?
No. There is no statutory menopause leave in Hong Kong. Employees use sick leave with a medical certificate, annual leave or other arrangements unless their employer offers more.
Is an employee paid for sick days caused by menopause symptoms?
Under the Employment Ordinance, sickness allowance of four-fifths of average daily wages is payable only when sick leave lasts at least four consecutive days, is supported by a medical certificate and the employee has enough paid sickness days. Shorter absences can be unpaid unless the contract is more generous.
Can an employee ask for flexible work because of menopause symptoms?
Employees can ask, but Hong Kong has no statutory right to request flexible work, so the answer depends on your policy. A clear, written process helps managers respond consistently and fairly.
Is menopause covered by discrimination law in Hong Kong?
Not by name. The Disability Discrimination Ordinance defines disability broadly, so whether severe symptoms are covered depends on the facts, and the Sex Discrimination Ordinance applies to decisions made because of sex. There is no age discrimination law.
Do all employees get subsidised public menopause care?
Public rates apply to Eligible Persons, mainly Hong Kong identity card holders. Others pay non-eligible rates, such as HK$850 for a specialist clinic visit. Even eligible employees face long waits for routine gynaecology appointments, which is where an employer benefit makes the biggest difference.
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 Hong Kong 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 Hong Kong team. No obligation.
Sources
- Department of Health, Family Health Service, When does menopause usually take place?
- Human Resources Online, The Menopause Space 2025 Menopause at Work survey (395 professional women in Hong Kong), 12 November 2025
- Human Resources Online, AXA Hong Kong Female Health Survey 2026 (working women aged 30 to 54), 24 July 2026
- Labour and Welfare Bureau, LCQ3: Enhancing labour force participation rate, 15 July 2026
- Mercer, Health on Demand 2023, via Human Resources Online
- 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
- Hospital Authority, Fees and charges, effective 1 January 2026
- Hospital Authority, Waiting time for new case booking at specialist outpatient clinics, 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2026
- Family Planning Association of Hong Kong, Menopause service fees
- CUHK Medical Centre, Specialist consultation fees, from 1 August 2026
- Labour Department, Employment Ordinance FAQs: sick leave
- Labour Department, Employment (Amendment) Ordinance 2025: continuous contract
- Equal Opportunities Commission, Code of Practice on Employment under the Disability Discrimination Ordinance
- Labour Department, Practical Guidelines for Employers on Eliminating Age Discrimination in Employment