Dec 25, 2025
3 min read
Menopause and work: an invisible cost of 112 million a year and silent suffering.Data from the first national survey
Menopause and work: the invisible costs women (and the system) pay.
The first national survey on menopause and work photographs a vast and little-recognized suffering among Italian working women.Promoted by the Parliamentary Menopause Intergroup led by Martina Semenzato, with the contribution of Manuela Peretti and the Manupausa project, the survey highlights the economic costs, taboos and the urgency of new protective policies.
It is not just a private matter, nor is it a matter of health.Menopause is an economic, institutional and cultural issue in the world of work.And the numbers, for the first time, make that clear.In Italy, menopause-related disorders cost 112 million euros per year in days of absence from work.But the most important person is another person: 76% of women suffer in silence but continue to work without changing anything.
This reality emerges from the National Survey "Menopause and Work", the first qualitative-quantitative analysis on the impact of menopause on the professional life of Italian women.Peretti, creator of the Manupausa project.The collection and processing of the data was completed by the University of Iulm in Milan.
Suffering is widespread but silent
The data reveals a profound disconnect between what women experience and the support they receive at work.More than six out of ten women (64.3%) say they experience significant physical, emotional and cognitive symptoms: persistent tiredness, sleep disturbances, difficulty concentrating, mood swings.Symptoms that affect the quality of life and professional performance, but which rarely find space for recognition.
The result is silent suffering, which is often expressed by fear of exposure, by a strong economy or by a lack of company policy.Not surprisingly, 37.7% of women have never discussed menopause with anyone at work.For many people it is a secret;for others, fear is a manifestation of their lack of work.
The invisible cost of productivity
Menopause also affects work performance, with 54.5% of those interviewed having a direct impact on their work performance.The worst symptom is fatigue.Often associated with insomniaWhen some changes occurThe price can be high: 18.3% of women who change their working lives forgo career opportunities.This resulted in the loss of approximately 4.9% of senior female leaders.
However, only 11.2% said they received adequate support from their employers.More than 83% are unaware of company-specific initiatives or policies.The result is a system that continues to function thanks to the resistance of individual women, and not because of a real culture of inclusion.
Menopause and work: a public issue
"Menopause is completely one of the fundamental issues of women's health," underlines Martina Semenzato, Promoter of the Parliamentary Intergroup on menopause.The institutional work, which began in the last monthors - from the parliamentary movement until the creature of the Interestlof the menopause in prevention and health protection, and entered into their welfare systems.
Today, Italy is one of the few European countries facing this problem in terms of public and private sectors.A recognition that has also reached the international level, in the discussion at the recent conference of women political leaders, where the experience of Italy was shared.
Flexibility, not penalties
From a medical-scientific point of view, the message is clear: menopause does not affect professional abilities, but increases the physical and mental "cost" of work, especially without flexibility.Rossella Nappi, gynecologist and president of the International Menopause Association, explains: "Knowledge of the impact of symptoms is also fundamental for manpower management policies."Interventions such as more autonomy in time management, fewer organizational models and attention to well-being can reduce stress, improve productivity and reduce individual and collective costs.
Change your perspective
The study sends a message that goes beyond the numbers: a cultural shift is needed.Overcome the stigma, increase women's professional experience and maturity, and stop treating menopause as a personal problem to be managed in silence.Because it's not just a health issue.It is a rights issue, a labor issue and a dignity issue.
