Financial burden of menstrual and menopausal symptoms: productivity loss from absenteeism and presenteeism among working-age women

BACKGROUND: Women's participation in the workforce not only promotes equal opportunity but also contributes to strengthening the social and economic development by addressing declining labour force participation rates linked to population ageing. Women have unique sexual and reproductive health needs, which can hinder their workplace participation and advancement. Therefore, understanding those needs is vital to make a work environment gender-responsive and equitable to ensure that all women can fully engage in social and economic activities. This study aims to provide evidence on the financial burden of productivity loss related to menstruation and menopause. METHODS: To assess the financial impact of productivity loss due to menstruation- and menopause-related symptoms, we conducted an internet-based, cross-sectional survey in Japan in September 2022. The survey included 10,000 individuals with 4,950 women aged 25-59, of which we analysed 3,046 responses from those in paid work and with necessary information. Using the validated work productivity and activity impairment questionnaire, we assessed the financial burden of productivity loss, focusing on absenteeism and presenteeism, and estimated the national-level cost among working women aged 25 to 59. RESULTS: Results show that approximately 7.0-8.8% of working women experienced absenteeism or reduced working hours because of the symptoms. Specifically, menstruation- and menopause-related absenteeism accounted for 2-3 days off and a reduction of 2-5 working hours in the preceding three months. Additionally, 79.7% of women reported that menstrual or menopausal symptoms impacted their work productivity. Our estimate suggests that the annual financial burden of productivity loss arising from the symptoms at the national level is approximately JPY 2,296.30 billion (USD 14.65 billion), comprising JPY 323.95 billion (USD 2.07 billion) from absenteeism and JPY 1,972.35 billion (USD 12.59 billion) from presenteeism. DISCUSSION: This study highlights the potential of addressing menstruation- and menopause-related symptoms among working-age women in generating positive economic impacts. These findings underscore the need for workplaces to implement gender-responsive strategies that meet the sexual and reproductive health needs of women in order to ensure gender equality and women's empowerment at workplace.