From working through to breaking through: hormonal issues deserve attention.
Hormonal health affects the daily functioning of millions of women. Yet, it is not a topic of conversation in most workplaces. Menstrual pain, menopause symptoms, or hormonal imbalances remain hidden behind "just toughing it out." Not by choice, but out of necessity. Because as long as the organization of work does not take hormonal phases into account, the only option is to adapt.
The result? Women are compromising on vitality, job satisfaction, and career. While the signals have long been known.
The body calls. The organization remains silent.
From concentration problems to sleep deprivation, from mood swings to physical pain – hormonal issues are not peripheral. They are a part of life. Yet, they are invisible in many organizations. Not because women don’t want to talk about it, but because the work environment simply lacks the language, space, or structure for it.
We see it reflected in the numbers:
- 34% of working women between the ages of 45 and 60 are in menopause.
- 70% of them experience issues at work.
- Only 2% of employers have policies or support in this area.
The consequences are noticeable. Women work through their complaints, hardly ever report sick (only 14% for menstrual issues), or decide to cut back their hours. A structural pattern that ultimately results in absenteeism, loss of income, and loss of potential.
Discomfort is not weakness; it is information.
In the current work environment, there is an implicit norm: always be available, perform at peak moments, demonstrate emotional stability. This norm is designed without considering cyclical capacity. Those who deviate from it do not fit in - or at least feel that way.
But hormonal health is not an individual issue. It requires systemic insight. Work pressure, schedules, performance reviews, and even physical workspaces: they are rarely aligned with the reality of the female body. While small adjustments can have a significant impact: more flexibility, more trust, and more openness in conversations between managers and employees.
Time for structural attention
The taboo on hormonal health hinders not only women but also organizations. Because where complaints are ignored, energy, talent, and knowledge are lost. That’s why this topic belongs in strategic HR policy. Not as a ‘woman’s issue’, but as an integral part of sustainable employability.
It starts with awareness and goes further with policies, guidance, and culture change. Because those who truly want to make health a priority in the workplace must begin with what is still often ignored.