Menopause symptoms cost women in the US $1.8b every year, new research reveals

Working women in the US may lose an estimated US$1.8b each year due to menopause, researchers from Mayo Clinic have found.

Menopause-related symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, mood changes, sleep disturbances, joint aches and cognitive difficulties damage the quality of life for millions of women, with as many as 85 per cent experiencing symptoms in their lifetime.

The new report, published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, identified an association between menopause symptoms and adverse work outcomes, including lost work productivity.

Researchers discovered that 15 per cent of the 4,000 participants surveyed had either missed work or cut back on work hours because of their menopause symptoms.

They found that US women may lose an estimated US$1.8b every year, with an estimated yearly cost for employers of US$26.6b.

Stephanie Faubion, lead author and director of Mayo Clinic Women’s Health, said: “A full 13 per cent of the women we surveyed experienced an adverse work outcome related to menopause symptoms, and about 11 per cent were missing days of work because of these symptoms.

“We also found some racial and ethnic differences on a sub-analysis of the results, though more research is needed in this area.”

“The takeaway for employers is that there is a critical need to address this issue for women in the workplace,” she added.

Clinicians need to ask women about menopause symptoms and offer guidance and treatment, and employers need to create and implement workplace strategies and policies to help women navigate this universal life transition.

Ekta Kapoor, senior author and assistant director of Mayo Clinic Women’s Health, said: “Adding to the complexity of women’s experience of menopause is that the topic has been taboo, particularly in the workplace, which potentially adds to the psychological burden of symptoms.

“Women often fear bias, discrimination and stigmatisation, and therefore may be reluctant to disclose their menopause symptoms to their workplace managers and others.

“Recognising these concerns and creating a safe workplace environment for women to discuss their health care needs may help address this.”