Mind the M’s: A review of the implications of menstruation, maternity, and menopause for work performance and attendance

Morien El Haj, Jana Decuyper, Eline Moens, Stijn Baert and Elsy Verhofstadt

Working Papers of Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Ghent University, Belgium from Ghent University, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration

Abstract: Menstruation, maternity, and menopause, collectively referred to as the three M’s, affect many employees as a growing number of women participate in the labour force. However, their implications for these women’s working lives have received limited and fragmented attention in the literature. This study therefore provides the first systematic literature review integrating evidence on the impact of the three M’s on work performance and attendance. Following the SPIDER framework and PRISMA guidelines, this study systematically reviews 57 articles. Across all three M’s, findings consistently show reduced work performance, increased presenteeism, and higher absenteeism, explained by interacting biological, psychological, and contextual factors. This study also identifies important limitations in the existing literature, including the dominance of crosssectional designs, the reliance on subjective measures, and the lack of attention to workplace solutions that address the three M’s collectively.

Keywords: menstruation; maternity; menopause; work performance; work attendance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J16 J22 J24 J28 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 46 pages
Date: 2026-10
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-lma
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:rug:rugwps:26/1154

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