Menopause and Work: What the Dutch Data Actually Shows
Sick leave patterns among midlife women
National workforce statistics from Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek consistently show that women report higher rates of sickness absence than men. The difference is most visible in midlife age groups.
This gap is not limited to specific industries and appears across sectors.
At the same time, occupational health research conducted with Nederlandse Organisatie voor toegepast-natuurwetenschappelijk onderzoek (TNO) identifies reduced work ability and increased fatigue among women aged approximately 40–60.
These trends coincide with the life stage in which perimenopause and menopause occur.
Work ability and symptoms
Large Dutch cohort studies report that menopause-related symptoms are associated with:
lower perceived work ability
higher emotional exhaustion
reduced overall wellbeing at work
The severity of symptoms correlates with the degree of work impairment.
Importantly, menopause itself is rarely recorded as the official reason for absence. Symptoms are often documented under general categories such as stress or nonspecific illness.
This suggests that the impact is present but partially invisible in administrative data.
Underreporting
Survey data show that many women continue working while symptomatic and do not disclose the nature of their complaints.
Reasons include stigma and the perception that menopause is not an acceptable workplace topic.
As a result, formal statistics likely underestimate the real contribution of menopause-related symptoms to both absenteeism and reduced productivity.
Conclusion
Available Dutch data does not describe menopause as an isolated medical issue. It shows a measurable reduction in work capacity and higher sickness absence among women in the same age window in which menopause occurs.
For employers, this establishes menopause as a relevant workforce variable rather than a private matter.
Sources
Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) – Menopausal employees experiencing work hindrance
https://www.cbs.nl/nl-nl/nieuws/2022/20/helft-werknemers-in-overgang-ondervindt-hinder-op-werk
Nederlandse Organisatie voor toegepast-natuurwetenschappelijk onderzoek + Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek joint report – Hormone-related health complaints and impact on work
https://monitorarbeid.tno.nl/publicaties/hormoongerelateerde-gezondheidsklachten-bij-vrouwen-de-impact-op-werk/
Peer-reviewed study (Oude Hengel et al., 2023) – Perimenopause symptoms and work ability
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37393659/
Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) – Women hiding hormone-related complaints at work
https://www.cbs.nl/nl-nl/nieuws/2025/38/1-op-3-vrouwelijke-werknemers-met-hormoongerelateerde-klachten-verbergt-deze
