When women talk about menopause - about lack of sleep, problems with concentration, migraines or exhaustion - many begin to whisper. Although currently around eleven million woman in Germany she is in menopause and often suffers the consequences of hormonal fluctuations, this topic is still taboo.
Of these women, more than nine million are employed, which makes up about a fifth of the total employed population, writes DW.
Contrary to this is the fact that a third of companies in Germany complain about the lack of qualified labor, according to the conjunctural survey of the Ifo Institute from March 2024. This problem is likely to be further exacerbated by demographic changes.
This makes it even more important for employers to look after the well-being of their employees. However, the complaints of menopausal women are often ignored until now.
At the same time, about a third of women suffer from severe symptoms that can affect their ability to work. In addition to hot flashes, the consequences of menopause can be joint pain, heart palpitations, problems with concentration, depressive moods and reduced self-confidence.
Menopause usually begins in the mid to late forties and usually lasts between ten and fifteen years. It is a period in which the children are often already "out of the house", and women could actually make a breakthrough in their careers again. However, the reality often looks different.
High costs
The consequences of menopause cost Germany about nine and a half billion euros a year in lost economic value, says Andrea Rumler from the University of Economics and Law in Berlin. Companies would lose about 40 million working days.
In 2023, Rumler surveyed more than 2.000 women between the ages of 28 and 67. For almost a quarter of the respondents, menopausal symptoms were the reason for reducing working hours, while almost a fifth changed jobs because of it. One in ten women stated that due to menopause, they retired earlier or planned to do so.
In some sectors, it is particularly difficult for women
In some professions, work during menopause is more difficult than in others. For example, female police officers in the patrol service. If sudden heavy bleeding or bladder problems occur, the toilet is not always nearby.
In general, women who work in the public space have particular difficulties in dealing with menopausal symptoms. Teachers, educators, caregivers or saleswomen cannot retire to work from home or take short breaks as needed.
This is particularly important for society, as some of these sectors have an above-average number of women working: in care (85 percent), in schools (73 percent), in commercial office work (more than 65 percent), and in service and sales (almost 62 percent). In addition, these sectors are particularly suffering from a lack of skilled labor.
Fear of stigmatization and discrimination
Many women find it very stressful not being able to talk openly about menopause. More than half of the women surveyed by Rumler said the topic of menopause is taboo in their workplace.
"Many women at this stage of life suffer at work, but they don't talk about it - out of shame, ignorance or fear of stigmatisation," says Rumler.
That is why education in companies is of great importance. At the same time, not only women who are directly affected, but also other employees and managers should be informed about the consequences of menopause. "What I hear all the time from occupational medicine doctors or HR staff, who are very involved in this topic, is that managers often wave their hands because they don't think it's an important issue," says Rumler.
In addition to destigmatization, women are also helped by the possibility to adapt working hours and work processes to their needs. Flexible working time models, planning tasks according to needs and consciously organizing breaks can significantly improve work ability in cases of exhaustion, concentration problems and sleep disorders.
For example, for working women in sales, production, field work, as well as for female bus drivers or police officers, easy access to sanitary facilities is important. And since the topic of menopause is barely covered in medical studies so far, occupational medicine doctors should be additionally trained.
Great Britain as a positive example
In recent years, there have been significant developments, especially in Great Britain. There, parliament launched a wide-ranging inquiry into menopause in the workplace, and counseling on the topic became part of routine health checks within the NHS.
More than 7.800 organizations have so far signed the Menopause Workplace Pledge, among them companies such as Vodafone, the BBC or Tesco, but also municipalities, schools, humanitarian organizations, healthcare providers and small businesses from various sectors.
In Germany, menopause is still a marginal topic
To support women, Vodafone, for example, offers an E-learning course on menopause and enables flexible working. Audit firm PwC has launched the "Menopause Matters" initiative, underwriting the costs of private menopause treatments and offering a health app with telemedicine advice.
In Germany, a 2024 survey of employers by the-change.org showed that 63 percent of them still consider menopause to be "exclusively" or "mostly a private" topic. In 74 percent of the surveyed companies, there were no measures to support menopausal women. Only seven percent said they do "a lot" to provide support.
