1 in 3 female employees hides hormone-related complaints

This article discusses how female employees with hormone-related complaints often hide them in the workplace.

18-9-2025 00:00

In 2025, 80 percent of female employees (3.2 million) said they sometimes or regularly have hormone-related complaints associated with menstruation, pregnancy, or menopause. Of those, 35 percent keep these hidden at work. This is more than male and female employees with other health complaints (24 percent). This is reported by Statistics Netherlands (CBS) and TNO based on a recent follow-up survey of the National Survey of Working Conditions (NEA).

Of the 3,787 women and men who participated, 750 women were in the menstrual phase, 225 women were in the pre-menopausal phase, and over 350 women were in the post-menopausal phase.

4 in 10 cautious about who they talk to

Of the women with hormone-related complaints, 41 percent say they are cautious about who they talk to about it in the workplace. Among male and female employees with other health complaints, that is 35 percent. Women with hormone-related complaints are also more likely to fear that colleagues will look down on them.

Women and men ¹⁾ with other health complaints

7 in 10 women with hormone-related complaints work through illness

Women with hormone-related complaints are more likely to say they work through illness than employees with other health complaints: 67 percent compared to 43 percent. They also say they are more likely to be unable to perform their work well. Just like employees with other health complaints, about half of the women with hormone-related complaints (1.6 million) feel limited in their ability to perform their work; 31 percent indicate that this is the case several times a year.

Women and men ¹⁾ with other health complaints

¹⁾Employees aged 15 to 75 years.

Complaints rarely discussed with supervisors or company doctors

Nearly two-thirds of women with hormone-related complaints talk about it at work, usually with a direct colleague (43 percent). They speak less often with a supervisor (12 percent), and rarely with the company doctor (2 percent). Among employees with other health complaints, 35 percent discuss their complaints with their supervisor, and 7 percent with the company doctor.

Women and men ¹⁾ with other health complaints

¹⁾ Employees aged 15 to 75 years

Of the women who do not discuss their hormone-related complaints with anyone at work, nearly 1 in 10 say they do have a need for it. A similar proportion of all women with hormone-related complaints feel the need for support regarding these complaints from their supervisor. More than half of all male and female employees believe that supervisors should be more aware of hormone-related health complaints.