The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), representing 45 million members across 41 European countries, is intensifying its call for menopause to be recognized in EU workplace law. The confederation argues that the absence of meaningful support is costing women wages, promotion opportunities and, ultimately, pension income.

A Workplace Issue The Law Has Yet To Catch Up With

“Women’s work-related health risks remain largely ignored by the law, which remains orientated around male-dominated jobs,” said ETUC Deputy General Secretary Isabelle Schömann. “It’s high time that the law caught up with the reality of the whole workforce today and the risks facing them.”

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The campaign arrives as the European Parliament examines a report urging policymakers to treat menopause as an economic, employment and social issue. The European Commission, however, has so far stopped short of proposing a dedicated EU menopause strategy.

A Widespread Workforce Reality

Menopause typically affects women between the ages of 45 and 55, but its impact often extends well beyond a personal health matter. According to data cited by the ETUC, around 30% of women experience symptoms serious enough to affect their ability to work, including fatigue, sleep disruption, hot flushes, joint pain, anxiety and difficulty concentrating. Nearly 85% of women experience at least one symptom.

Research referenced by the confederation also points to measurable financial consequences. In Norway, women’s earnings fell by 7.4% by the fourth year after a menopause diagnosis, driven by reduced working hours, sick leave and missed promotions.

“Loss of pay, lost promotions, and lower pensions is the price being paid by millions of women for the failure to adapt work to the menopause,” Schömann said.

Pressure Builds For EU Action

The issue is gaining traction in the EU’s broader gender equality agenda, even if concrete workplace protections remain largely in the hands of national governments and employers.

In November 2025, Equality Commissioner Hadja Lahbib said the Commission was not planning a standalone EU menopause strategy, while pointing to research projects under Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe that examine its medical and social dimensions. The Commission has since included menopause in its Gender Equality Strategy 2026-2030, published in March, which commits to sharing national best practices on menstrual and menopause poverty and to a 2028 study on the economic and societal value of closing the women’s health gap, including menopause.

Those commitments signal movement, but they still fall short of legislation establishing specific workplace rights for menopausal employees.

The European Parliament is now seeking to push the debate further. Spanish Socialist MEP Lina Gálvez is leading a draft report titled Menopause beyond a health issue: turning menopause into an economic, working and social priority. The report, which will not be discussed in plenary until next year, calls for a dedicated EU strategy, broader research, public campaigns to reduce stigma, better workplace support and improved access to healthcare.

“It is therefore essential to have an EU strategy that includes broader and more inclusive EU research, evidence-based public campaigns to change the social perceptions, improved workplace support and improved access to healthcare,” Gálvez wrote. “It is time for the EU to tackle menopause.”

The draft remains a parliamentary initiative rather than adopted EU policy.

What Unions Want Employers To Do

For the ETUC, the central issue is how workplaces are organized and regulated. The confederation is calling for risk assessments that take into account temperature, ventilation and facilities; flexible hours and remote working; training for managers and human resources staff; and physical adjustments such as temperature controls and ergonomic equipment.

It also wants menopause policies negotiated with trade unions, then implemented and monitored, alongside free menstrual and menopause products at work.

“The way work is organised can make a crucial difference in deciding the impact of the menopause,” Schömann said, noting that unions are already negotiating collective agreements covering workplace adjustments and flexible arrangements.