Zora Health / Employer guide / Kenya
Support your experienced employees through menopause, and help them stay at their best.
A Kenyan study of health workers found that menopause increases absence and impairs productivity, and experts are now calling for a national menopause policy. 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 Kenya HR leaders should know
- In a study of health workers in Kiambu County, the mean age at menopause was 48.5.
- The same study found menopause was linked to more absence and lower productivity at work.
- Women’s labour force participation was 63.0% in 2025, and women held about 38% of wage jobs in the modern sector.
- Since 1 October 2024, salaried employees contribute 2.75% of gross salary to the Social Health Insurance Fund, which replaced NHIF.
- The Employment Act gives up to 14 days of paid sick leave a year: 7 at full pay and 7 at half pay. There is no menopause leave.
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:
- More absence, lower productivity. In a study of 239 menopausal health workers and 239 controls in Kiambu County public hospitals, menopause was significantly linked to absenteeism and to productivity impairment (Kenyatta University, 2018).
- Concentration and mood. In the same study, nervousness and lack of concentration raised the odds of impaired productivity.
- Pain more than flushes. At an urban community health day, 74.1% of 304 women surveyed reported musculoskeletal pain and 45.8% mood swings, while only 41% of women over 50 reported hot flushes (JOGECA, February 2024).
- Calls for policy. Experts in Kenya have urged the government to develop a clear policy framework on menopause (The Standard, August 2025).
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’s labour force participation was 63.0% in 2025 (World Bank, ILO estimate), so many of your experienced employees will go through menopause at work. 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
Standard Chartered Kenya gives employees and their partners medical cover for menopause, including specialists and HRT (HapaKenya, November 2023). A clear offer, explained in your benefits pack, helps you compete for senior women.
Make menopause support financially predictable
Aon projects Kenya’s medical trend at 13.5% for 2026, or 8.6% after inflation (Aon, 2026 report). Much of what helps menopause costs very little: a flexible start time, a fan, a manager who knows what to say.
Zora helps employers set an annual allowance or top-up around SHIF and your medical cover, 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 Kenya workforce?
What menopause care costs, and what the state pays
Employees contribute to the Social Health Insurance Fund. Many employers add private medical cover for faster access to specialists.
| Item | Public support | What the employee still carries |
|---|---|---|
| Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) | Replaced NHIF from 1 October 2024; salaried employees contribute 2.75% of gross salary, minimum KES 300 a month | Care outside the SHIF package |
| Out-of-pocket costs | About 24% of health spending was paid directly by patients in 2023 | Consultations, tests and medicines not covered |
| Time off for appointments | Up to 14 days of paid sick leave a year after two months’ service: 7 at full pay, 7 at half pay | No menopause leave |
From EY, September 2024, the World Bank and WageIndicator. We could not confirm current private consultation fees. 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.
A Kenyan study found menopause significantly increased absence and impaired productivity among health workers.
We have found no menopause workplace law or guidance in Kenya. 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 Kenya:
- 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 work alongside SHIF and our private medical cover, without duplicating what is already paid for?
- 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 KES 30,000 is an illustrative figure for private consultations, tests and treatment. 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: KES 551,082 to KES 1,668,139 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 Kenya. The default salary is our estimate from 2025 KNBS data (total wage payments divided by wage employment, provisional), about KES 988,000 a year. 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 Kenya
Zora’s clinic and doctor directory does not list providers in Kenya 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 Kenya can still use Zora’s education and the Zora app. Ask us how your team in Kenya would use Zora before you launch. See Zora’s employer guides for every country.
Rules and eligibility in Kenya
Sick leave
Under section 30 of the Employment Act 2007, workers get up to 14 days of paid sick leave a year after two months’ service, the first 7 at full pay and the next 7 at half pay, with a medical certificate (WageIndicator).
Equal treatment
Section 5(3) of the Employment Act bars discrimination on grounds including sex, disability and pregnancy, and Article 27(4) of the Constitution includes age (agediscrimination.info).
Social Health Insurance Fund
Employers deduct 2.75% of gross salary and remit it by the ninth day of the following month, under the Social Health Insurance Act (EY).
Standard Chartered
Standard Chartered’s global menopause policy gives employees and their partners medical cover for menopause-related symptoms (Standard Chartered, October 2023). In Kenya, this includes specialist doctors and HRT (HapaKenya).
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 employers in Kenya have to give menopause leave?
No. There is no menopause leave. Employees use sick leave, annual leave or flexible arrangements unless their employer offers more.
How much sick leave do employees get?
Up to 14 days a year after two months of service: 7 days at full pay and 7 at half pay, with a medical certificate.
Does menopause affect work in Kenya?
A study of health workers in Kiambu County found menopause was linked to more absence and lower productivity.
What do employees pay towards SHIF?
Salaried employees contribute 2.75% of gross salary, with a minimum of KES 300 a month.
At what age do Kenyan women reach menopause?
In a study of health workers in Kiambu County, the mean age was 48.5. We found no national figure.
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 Kenya 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 Kenya team. No obligation.
Sources
- Wamaitha, Influence of menopause on work productivity among health workers in public hospitals in Kiambu County, Kenyatta University, 2018
- Muchiri, A spotlight on menopause in Africa, JOGECA, February 2024 (304 women)
- World Bank, Female labour force participation (ILO modelled estimate), 2025
- KNBS, 2026 Facts and Figures
- EY, Kenya employers to begin SHIF contributions, September 2024
- World Bank, Out-of-pocket expenditure, 2023
- WageIndicator, Sick leave in Kenya
- agediscrimination.info, Kenya
- The Standard, Experts push for menopause policy, August 2025
- HapaKenya, Standard Chartered rolls out menopause cover, November 2023
- Standard Chartered, Menopause workplace policy, October 2023
- Aon, Global Medical Trend Rates Report 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