Nearly half of women with menopause-related work limitations do not discuss symptoms

A cross-sectional study published in Menopause examined workplace discussion of menopausal symptoms among 9,977 perimenopausal and postmenopausal women aged 40–66 with paid employment in the Dutch Lifelines cohort. Participants completed a questionnaire in 2024 covering work limitations, symptom discussions, perceived taboo, and need for recovery after work. Symptom severity was assessed using the Greene Climacteric Scale.

Overall, 36.7% reported that menopausal symptoms limited their work functioning; among these women, 45.5% had not discussed their symptoms at work. Women with limitations who wanted to discuss symptoms but had not were more likely to perceive menopause discussions as taboo than women without limitations (odds ratio 5.12; 95% CI 3.54–7.41). This subgroup, alongside women who had discussed symptoms with an occupational professional, reported the highest symptom severity and need for recovery.

The findings highlight unmet communication and support needs that may be relevant when clinicians assess menopause-related occupational difficulties. However, the cross-sectional, self-reported data cannot establish whether perceived taboo prevents discussion or whether workplace discussions improve functioning. The broader questionnaire response rate was 40.3%, leaving potential for response bias, and findings from this Dutch cohort may not generalize to other workplace settings.