Brussels Wants Menopause Written Into EU Labour Law — and Points to the Pay Gap as the Reason
Published on 10/17/2026 at 18:51 | Editorial boerse-global.de
Europe's largest union confederation is pressing Brussels to treat menopause as a workplace health and safety issue rather than a private matter, arguing that the absence of support at work is quietly eroding women's earnings, careers and pensions.
The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), which represents 45 million members across 41 European countries, made the call on 16 October 2026, two days before World Menopause Day on 18 October.
Its deputy general secretary, Isabelle Schömann, said occupational health risks affecting women have long been overlooked, and that existing legal frameworks were designed chiefly around male-dominated trades.
What the numbers show
Most women reach menopause between the ages of 45 and 55. Around 85 percent experience at least one symptom, and 25 to 30 percent suffer moderate to severe complaints. For roughly 30 percent, symptoms such as fatigue, difficulty concentrating, sleep disturbance, hot flushes, joint pain and anxiety interfere with their ability to work day to day.
The ETUC ties this directly to the gender pay and pension gap. It cites research from Norway showing that women's earnings fell by 7.4 percent in the four years after a diagnosis, driven by reduced hours, sick leave and promotions that never came.
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Data from University College London covering Sweden and Norway points to an average income decline of 4.3 percent, deepening to as much as 10 percent by the fourth year. Over the same period, applications for disability pensions rose by 4.8 percent and antidepressant prescriptions by 5.1 percent.
The economic picture extends beyond Europe. Surveys by the organisation Global 50/50 found that employment among women aged 55 to 59 in OECD countries climbed by 18.5 percentage points between 2000 and 2024. In the United Kingdom, one in ten women aged 45 to 55 has left a job because of symptoms. A Mayo Clinic study put annual productivity losses from menopause among US women aged 45 to 60 at 1.8 billion US dollars.
The demands
Binding workplace risk assessments that account for room temperature and ventilation sit at the top of the ETUC's list. The confederation also wants flexible working-time arrangements, home-office options, and targeted training for managers and HR departments.
Paid leave during acute symptoms, and free access to menstrual and menopause products at work, round out the package. The European Menopause Society (EMAS) has issued similar guidance, calling for temperature controls and relaxed dress rules alongside action on psychosocial risks.
Slow going in Brussels
Progress at EU level has been sluggish. The European Commission has yet to produce a standalone menopause strategy. The topic did make it into the 2026–2030 gender equality strategy in March, but a dedicated EU study is not scheduled until 2028.
In the European Parliament, an own-initiative report by Spanish MEP Lina Gálvez is sitting with the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM), which frames the issue as both an economic and a social policy matter. A plenary debate is expected next year.
Member states move first
Without EU rules to follow, national governments are stepping in. At the first Assises de la ménopause in Paris, French labour minister Jean-Pierre Farandou announced on 15 October 2026 that working conditions would be adjusted — through stronger mobilisation of employers, use of the occupational health mid-life check-up, and better resourcing for occupational physicians.
In Spain, the union UGT Aragón has called for gender-sensitive monitoring protocols under national occupational safety law. Globally, the international standard ISO 45010, published in 2026, offers guidance on workplace adjustments and inclusive company policies covering menstruation and menopause.
Employers who wait for EU rules before updating their workplace policies are leaving themselves exposed. A free Health & Safety Toolkit bundles ready-to-use risk assessments, checklists and toolbox talks aligned with UK duties such as the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 and COSHH — already relied on by more than 37,000 UK businesses. Get the free Health & Safety Toolkit
Take-up, however, remains thin. Global 50/50 found that of 198 health organisations surveyed worldwide, just one had a standalone, publicly available menopause policy — and 161 had no provision at all.
