Menopause in the workplace: a topic SME leaders can no longer ignore – an article by Ivan Reusse for Le Monde Économique
24.03.2026
Last week in Lausanne, a full room gathered for a conference dedicated to a topic still too rarely addressed in the professional world: menopause and its impact on working life. Organized by the platform Queenager, founded by Ms. Aurore Müller-Godard, the evening helped break a taboo that nevertheless concerns millions of women.
Around the round table, several speakers shared their perspectives: a gynecologist specializing in menopause, an expert in human emotions, a representative from the scientific community, and the founder of Queenager. The discussion, moderated by Thierry Dime, director of Le Monde Économique, opened up a direct dialogue with the audience, composed largely of women.
The exchanges quickly highlighted the scale of the issue. Menopause and perimenopause can span several years and be accompanied by numerous symptoms: sleep disorders, chronic fatigue, difficulty concentrating, emotional fluctuations, or hot flashes. Manifestations that obviously do not stop at the office door.
The figures mentioned during the evening are striking. In Switzerland, more than two million women are affected by this stage of life. A recent survey shows that nearly 20 to 30% of them experience symptoms severe enough to affect their work. Some reduce their working hours, others take sick leave, and many prefer to remain silent for fear of being stigmatized.
In more than 40% of cases, the subject remains taboo within companies. Yet it affects a generation of experienced women, often between 40 and 60 years old, at a time when they hold key roles or are accessing significant responsibilities.
For companies, and particularly for SMEs, the issue goes far beyond the medical dimension. It becomes a real talent management challenge.
Because behind these statistics lies an economic reality: when experienced women reduce their activity or give up responsibilities due to menopause-related difficulties, organizations lose a valuable part of their human capital. In a context of skills shortages, this loss is far from negligible.
In recent decades, companies have developed policies to support other key moments in professional life: maternity leave, return to work after childbirth, or work-life balance. Menopause could well become the next frontier of human resources management.