Menopause Laws in Europe: Workplace Rights and Emerging Policies
There is no EU-wide, menopause-specific law today. However, existing equality and disability rules across Europe already protect workers when menopausal symptoms substantially affect daily life. Several national bodies have issued employer guidance, and Spain has created Europe’s first paid menstrual leave (not menopause-specific). Momentum is shifting toward clearer workplace policies, training, and practical accommodations.
Menopause Laws in Europe
No EU-wide menopause-specific statute yet. Existing equality & disability rules already protect workers when symptoms are substantial and long-term. Spain’s new leave is menstrual (not menopause-specific).
EU (Directive 2000/78/EC)
Bars discrimination in employment. If menopausal symptoms are substantial and long-term, disability protections can require adjustments. No menopause-specific article.
United Kingdom
EHRC 2024 guidance: menopause can be a disability → employers must consider “reasonable adjustments” (temperature control, flexible breaks, uniform tweaks, hybrid work).
Ireland (Public Sector)
Civil Service Menopause in the Workplace Policy Framework (2023) guides supports and adjustments; many institutions mirror it internally.
Spain
First in Europe with paid menstrual leave (2023). Not menopause-specific. Early usage is low; awareness and criteria affect uptake.
Workplace Guidance (EMAS)
EMAS Menopause & Work Charter offers evidence-based, inclusive policy templates (training, environment, flexibility) for employers.
Practical note: Document symptoms and work impact; request specific, low-cost adjustments first (airflow, uniform fabrics, flexible breaks, hybrid options). Align internal policies with national guidance and EMAS resources.
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Global Declaration for Menopause
Equity and Dignity in Health and Work
We, the undersigned, affirm that menopause is a normal life stage and a critical public health, economic, and human rights issue.Around the world, millions of women in their 40s, 50s, and 60s sustain families, workplaces, economies, and communities while navigating menopausal transition with inadequate recognition, support, or protection.
Global estimates suggest that over one billion people will be postmenopausal by 2025, representing a significant share of the global workforce and caregiving labor. Yet menopause-inclusive care, data, and workplace policies remain inconsistent and, in many countries, absent.
Unmanaged symptoms and stigma are linked to lost income, preventable resignations, reduced hours, and increased health costs. Studies show meaningful proportions of workers consider reducing responsibilities, changing jobs, or leaving employment due to menopause-related challenges. At the same time, only a small fraction of employers provide targeted support.
We believe this is not a “women’s wellness perk.” It is an overdue requirement of modern health systems, labor standards, and gender equity.
Our Principles
Dignity as a baseline
Every person experiencing menopause has the right to be treated with respect in clinical settings, workplaces,
and public institutions, without ridicule, dismissal, or career penalty.
Recognition in global health agendas
Menopause and midlife hormonal health must be explicitly integrated into global health strategies,
noncommunicable disease frameworks, universal health coverage planning, and healthy aging agendas,
reflecting WHO’s acknowledgement that support in this phase is essential to long-term health.
World Health Organization
Evidence-based care for all
People in menopause are entitled to access accurate information, trained providers, and safe, evidence-based options,
including non-hormonal and hormonal therapies, without discrimination based on age, race, income, geography, disability,
or gender identity.
Workplaces that match reality
As global consensus statements already recommend, employers should integrate menopause into occupational health,
equity, and inclusion frameworks. Menopause-responsive policies are a driver of retention, productivity,
leadership continuity, and economic resilience.
PubMed+2
Australasian Menopause Society+2
No penalty for telling the truth
No one should be pushed out of work, passed over, or shamed for requesting reasonable adjustments or medical support
related to menopausal symptoms.
Intersectional and lived-experience informed
Policy and practice must reflect how menopause interacts with race, class, disability, migrant status, precarious work,
and unpaid care. Those most affected must have a seat at the table as experts of their own experience.
Data, research, and accountability
Governments, employers, and health systems must collect better data on menopause-related outcomes, invest in research beyond the most privileged populations, and publicly report progress.
Our Calls to Action
Global Health Leadership
We call on the World Health Organization and global health partners to:
Establish clear, practical guidance for integrating menopause into primary care, occupational health, and healthy aging policies in all regions.
Encourage member states to include menopause services, counseling, and medications in universal health coverage benefits.
Promote research and surveillance that capture menopause’s impact on health, employment, and economic security, with disaggregated data.
National Governments & Parliaments
We call on national governments and parliaments to:
Recognize menopause as a key life stage within health, labor, and equality legislation.
Embed protection from discrimination on the grounds of menopause-related symptoms or treatment.
Incentivize or require employers to adopt menopause-supportive policies, including flexible work options, access to occupational health advice, and training for managers.
Employers, Unions & Professional Bodies
We call on employers, unions, and professional bodies to:
Adopt written menopause policies developed with input from affected staff.
Provide training so leaders can respond with competence, not stigma.
Ensure health benefits, sick leave structures, and performance processes do not punish workers managing menopausal symptoms.
Recognize that retaining experienced midlife workers is a strategic advantage, not a concession.
Healthcare, Education & Regulators
We call on healthcare systems, educators, and regulators to:
Integrate comprehensive menopause education into medical, nursing, and allied health curricula.
Expand access to specialized menopause care and culturally competent services in urban and rural settings.
Address misinformation and commercial exploitation with clear public education.
Our Commitment
By signing this Declaration, we:
Affirm that menopause equity is a measurable, achievable standard of modern societies.
Support AVA and aligned organizations in presenting this Declaration and its signatures to WHO, UN agencies, governments, employers, unions, and health systems.
Commit, within our own spheres of influence, to ending the silence, redesigning systems, and honoring the expertise and labor of those in midlife and beyond.
