CNV advocates menopause policy in the workplace

The CNV is calling for a menopause policy in the workplace, the union reported on Saturday. The union's own survey of several thousand women aged between 45 and 65 revealed that 71 percent of respondents with menopausal symptoms find it difficult to combine menopause with work.

A further 73 percent stated that they are less productive due to menopausal symptoms, while 25 percent are sometimes even unable to work "for long periods". The union points out that there are millions of workers who are currently in transition or will soon be entering it. "An enormous destruction of capital. Especially as many women work in narrow sectors, just think of care, education, and childcare. Without an optimal deployment of women, the Netherlands will not make any progress," said Danielle Woestenberg, director of the CNV.

According to the union's survey, only two percent of employers currently have a menopause policy. Only six percent more have a contact person with whom women can address their menopausal complaints. Overall, the survey found that 95% of employers do not ask women for suggestions on how to improve the transition policy.

“Employers must get started on this quickly, with input from women themselves," Woestenberg stated. “This is not a women's problem, but a labor market problem. We will soon need everyone to continue to guarantee the quality of service. Policy development on menopause must be a high priority.”

The union would like to see adequate support for women. Part of the policy should be, for example, a space where they can retreat. "The pump room is mandatory in every workplace. It would be nice if this room could be used multifunctionally. Women with menopausal symptoms can change here for a short time or retreat for half an hour if they have a severe headache. That could help most women enormously," Woestenberg said.