Anyone Get Put on a PIP Because of Menopause?
Yes. And it’s happening way more than anyone’s talking about.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
What a PIP is and why brain fog can trigger one
Whether you’re actually getting fired (the honest answer)
How to protect yourself when your hormones crash into HR
WHAT IS A PIP AND WHY YOU MIGHT GET ONE FOR MENOPAUSE SYMPTOMS?
A Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) is corporate speak for “you’re not meeting expectations—here’s your 30-90 day countdown to fix it.”
Your manager documents where you’re falling short, sets goals, establishes a timeline, schedules check-ins. Sounds fair.
Except when your “performance issues” are actually: brain fog mid-sentence, concentration that evaporates by 2 PM, memory that can’t retain yesterday’s conversations, anxiety that makes emails feel dangerous, fatigue that laughs at your fourth coffee.
Those are menopause symptoms.
Your employer sees: missed deadlines, errors, declining quality, communication problems.
Here’s what I hear constantly: “I’ve been crushing it for fifteen years. Suddenly I can’t remember what I was saying. Now I’m on a PIP.”
One woman reached out last week—fifteen years solid in special education. Then perimenopause hit in 2019 and her hormones went apeshit. Her words, not mine. Sleep became theoretical. Cognitive abilities vanished. By 2023, she was suicidal, collecting specialists like Pokemon cards. Four years later, she still can’t drive most days.
“I feel completely ashamed,” she wrote.
Most employers don’t recognize menopause as a medical condition. They see performance decline. You know you’re drowning. The disconnect is brutal.
DOES A PIP MEAN TERMINATION?
Let’s be honest.
Sometimes yes. Sometimes no. Usually... probably.
The uncomfortable truth: Many PIPs are legal cover before firing you. Companies document issues to avoid wrongful termination lawsuits.
But not always. Some PIPs are genuine if you have a long track record of excellence and the issues are recent.
Here’s what changes everything: If your decline is medically related to menopause, you have legal protections. The ADA may cover severe menopause symptoms. FMLA protects jobs during serious health conditions. Some states have menopause-specific protections.
You might have more leverage than you think.
IS A PIP AT WORK SERIOUS?
Absolutely. Anyone saying otherwise is lying.
A PIP is formal warning you’re at risk. It goes in your file. It affects your reputation. It’s stressful as hell.
And the financial hit is real. That woman I mentioned? She had free health insurance. FREE. Worth thousands annually. When she left, household income disappeared while groceries exploded and restaurant outings that cost $40-60 now run nearly $100.
“I’m ordering a small appetizer and club soda. Seriously wtf,” she wrote.
The panic when income vanishes hits different.
Three moves. Right now.
Document like your career depends on it.
Because it does. Your symptoms. How they affect work. Every manager conversation. PIP paperwork. Medical appointments. Get your doctor to document that symptoms are affecting job performance. Be brutally honest.
Request accommodations in writing.
Under the ADA, you may be entitled to flexible scheduling, remote work, modified duties. Ask for what you need. Document the request. Sometimes this prevents termination. Sometimes it doesn’t... but you have proof you tried.
Talk to an employment attorney this week.
Not someday. This week. Many offer free consultations. If you suspect discrimination or your employer’s dodging legal requirements, you need counsel.
THE PART NOBODY TELLS YOU
Menopause can derail careers for years. Not weeks. Years.
That para educator? Four years out. Doing “baby steps” with her psychiatrist to manage simple tasks. Mid-40s. Terrified about her employment gap. The shame is crushing.
If you’re pushing through meetings while forgetting words mid-sentence, or staring at a PIP notice wondering how you got here—you’re not broken. You’re navigating a system that wasn’t built for bodies that change.
Share this with 3 women who need to know they’re not failing—the system is.