Overview
- About nine million women in Germany are in the menopausal transition, and roughly one third report symptoms severe enough to hinder work performance.
- A study cited in reporting found one in four affected women reduced their working hours and about one in ten planned or took early retirement because of menopause.
- Experts highlight significant mental and cognitive impacts, with depressive symptoms in around a third and temporary concentration and memory problems in 60–70 percent.
- The UK’s NHS has designated menopause leads, tracks related absences and adapts schedules, whereas German workplaces lack a coordinated framework despite earlier political calls for one.
- New efforts include the MenoHealthCare online survey of healthcare workers running through December 2025 and a 6 November awareness lecture in Radebeul, while one estimate puts annual absenteeism costs near €9 billion.