Zora Health / Employer guide / Japan
Support your experienced employees through menopause, and help them stay at their best.
Japan’s government puts the annual economic loss from menopause symptoms at about ¥1.9 trillion, and up to 459,000 women are estimated to have left a job because of them. Zora Health helps you build practical menopause support, from workplace policies and manager training to confidential care navigation and access to 128+ partner clinics in 16 countries, around your workforce and budget. Companies including Hilton, LinkedIn, Sanofi, HSBC, Mastercard, Carousell and Singapore Management University work with us.
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Five things Japan HR leaders should know
- Menopause in Japanese women occurs at around 51.
- METI estimates menopause symptoms cost Japan about ¥1.9 trillion a year, mostly through lower performance and staff turnover.
- 82.0% of women aged 45 to 54 were in work in 2025.
- About eight in ten women in their 40s and 50s with symptoms had never consulted a medical institution.
- The amended Act on Promotion of Women’s Participation now states that women’s advancement should take account of women’s health, and employer guidance includes workplace health measures.
Why menopause is a business problem for employers
Menopause rarely announces itself at work. It looks like a senior manager who slept four hours, a wave of heat in the middle of a client meeting, a word that will not come in front of the board. Symptoms come and go for years. Many women do not link them to menopause, and fewer tell their manager.
So the cost stays out of your reports. It shows up instead as:
- Lost output. METI estimates that menopause symptoms cost Japan about ¥1.9 trillion a year, including about ¥560 billion from reduced performance and about ¥1 trillion from turnover (METI, February 2024).
- Women leaving work. Based on a 2021 NHK survey of 5,334 workers, an estimated 202,000 to 459,000 women had left a job because of menopause symptoms (JILPT, November 2021).
- Cutting back. Japan’s national association of obstetricians and gynaecologists (JAOG) reports that 53.5% of women aged 50 have considered quitting or cutting their hours because of symptoms (JAOG, June 2026).
- Untreated symptoms. In an MHLW survey, 38.3% of women in their 50s thought they might have a menopausal disorder, but only 9.1% had a diagnosis and 78.9% had never consulted a medical institution (MHLW, July 2022).
What employers gain
Keep the people who know how your business runs
Replacing an employee costs one-half to two times their annual salary, according to Gallup. With 82.0% of women aged 45 to 54 in work in 2025 (Statistics Bureau of Japan), many of your most experienced employees will go through menopause at work. A written policy, trained managers and quick access to the right doctor can help address barriers that contribute to employee attrition.
Stand out to experienced women
The government’s new Eruboshi Plus certification, from 1 April 2026, recognises employers that support women’s health. A clear menopause offer helps you stand out to senior women weighing their next move.
Make menopause support financially predictable
Aon projects Japan’s medical trend at 2.7% for 2026, among the lowest in Asia Pacific (Aon, October 2026). Much of what helps menopause costs very little: a flexible start time, a fan, a manager who knows what to say.
Zora helps employers set an annual allowance or top-up around public health insurance and your existing benefits, so HR can run the programme within an agreed budget. The benefit works alongside your existing insurance.
Want to see what this would look like for your Japan workforce?
What menopause care costs, and what the state pays
Employees are covered by public health insurance, which pays most of the cost of consultations and treatment. The barrier is less cost than recognising symptoms and seeing a doctor.
| Item | Public support | What the employee still carries |
|---|---|---|
| Consultations and treatment under public health insurance | Covered, with a co-payment | The co-payment and any treatment not covered |
| Workplace support | Revised employer action-plan guidance gives examples such as health training, leave, flexible work and consultation services | Depends on the employer |
Workplace guidance from the MHLW women’s health site. We could not confirm current co-payment rates or insurance coverage for hormone therapy on an official page. These are published examples, not guaranteed current prices: actual costs depend on cover, clinic, doctor and treatment, so confirm fees with the provider before budgeting.
METI estimates menopause symptoms cost Japan about ¥1.9 trillion a year.
Japan is one of the few countries where government has costed menopause at work. For employers, the practical opportunity is to help employees recognise their symptoms, understand their options and reach appropriate clinical advice sooner.
Menopause support that fits your workforce and budget
You do not need to overhaul your existing health insurance to support employees through menopause. Start with awareness and manager education, add confidential one-to-one support, or introduce a fuller programme across your offices. There is no minimum company size.
Where included in the employer programme, eligible employees can use talks and care navigation without paying Zora a separate fee. Care navigation allowances are set in each proposal. Treatment and other third-party costs are paid separately, either by employees or through the allowance their employer provides.
Companies starting the conversation
Essentials
Expert-led talks for employees and managers, menopause policy templates, manager guides and full access to the Zora app. Up to 2 talks a year.
Employees supported one to one
Navigation
Everything in Essentials, plus confidential one-to-one care navigation and access to our partner clinic network.
Large teams across countries
Complete
Everything in Navigation, plus quarterly anonymised reporting, a dedicated account manager and scheduled review meetings with HR.
Optional add-ons can be added to any programme, subject to availability: hormone diagnostics and telehealth with specialists. Pricing is tailored to your headcount, your countries and the services you choose. Most companies start with a single talk.
Request a proposal See how Zora works for employers
Comparing menopause benefit providers? Use our RFP question bank
Our question bank has 40 questions for multi-country benefits teams, with why each one matters, what a good answer looks like and a scoring sheet for three providers. Six of the questions for menopause support in Japan:
- Is menopause support included as standard, or only fertility?
- What access do employees get to menopause specialists and hormone testing, and how quickly?
- How does the programme support the women’s health measures in our action plan under the Act on Promotion of Women’s Participation?
- Do you provide fertility and menopause policy templates for our markets?
- How can an employee get help confidentially without telling their manager?
- What individual-level data does HR see?
Your download link appears as soon as you submit. Zora Health may contact you about employee benefits; see our privacy policy.
Plan your menopause benefit budget
Menopause care allowance planner
Model the annual claims budget for a menopause care allowance. Change any number.
This is a claims budget, not a Zora quotation. Zora’s programme fees, implementation and optional services are separate.
It estimates the annual budget for a menopause care allowance from your eligible workforce, expected utilisation and allowance per employee, and assumes each user claims the full allowance. Eligible employees defaults to 15% as a stand-in for women aged 45 and over; use your own headcount data. The default allowance of JPY 100,000 is an illustrative figure for private consultations, tests and treatment. Utilisation is an editable assumption, not observed Zora data. For a proposal covering both programme costs and employee benefits, request an employer proposal.
Estimate the potential workforce impact of menopause symptoms
A rough planning scenario. It applies a published estimate to your headcount, so it is not a prediction for your workforce, a measured loss or a forecast of savings from any programme.
Range: JPY 2,211,578 to JPY 6,694,506 a year, depending on replacement cost.
Assumptions: 13.4% of working women aged 45 to 60 reported at least one adverse work outcome due to menopause symptoms, and those who missed work lost a median of 3 days a year (Faubion et al., Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 2023). This was a US clinic sample, so treat it as a rough benchmark for Japan. The default salary is the 2024 average monthly wage of JPY 330,400 multiplied by 12, excluding bonuses. Use your own. Replacing an employee costs one-half to two times their annual salary (Gallup, 2019); the headline uses the low end. Absence is valued at salary divided by 250 working days. Exit rate is your own assumption.
Already have corporate health insurance? Here is where Zora fits
Your medical plan may cover some consultations and treatment. Employees still need to recognise their symptoms, understand their options and find a doctor who knows menopause care, and many never get that far.
Zora works alongside your existing insurance and benefits. We help employees get reliable information, navigate their care options and reach suitable specialists, and we give HR manager training, policy templates and, on the Complete programme, anonymised reporting. You strengthen menopause support without replacing your medical plan.
How Zora works
For your employees
Employees join the Zora app with a company code, or single sign-on for larger teams. They can learn about perimenopause and menopause, understand what your benefit covers, book a confidential care navigation call and find partner doctors and specialists.
For HR
- Kick-off, week 1. Agree goals, countries and which employees are eligible.
- Policy and benefit design, weeks 2 to 4. Draft or update your menopause policy and flexible work guidance using our templates.
- Launch, typically weeks 4 to 6. A launch talk for employees and managers, plus a communications pack for HR to send.
- Live support. Employees book care navigation calls and use the Zora app.
- Reporting, every 3 months, on the Complete programme. Anonymised usage, common themes and our recommendations, reviewed with your account manager.
Privacy
On the Complete programme, HR receives anonymised, aggregated reports only: how many employees used the programme, which services they used and the common themes. On every programme, HR never sees an individual employee’s health information, bookings or test results, and employees can get help without telling their manager. Employee data is stored on Amazon Web Services in Singapore and handled in line with Singapore’s Personal Data Protection Act.
Clinics and doctors in Japan
Zora’s directory lists 28 clinics and 15 doctors in Japan. Locations include Tokyo, Osaka and Sendai, and 5 of the clinics list menopause care among their services.
Employees can browse clinics in Japan and find a doctor in Japan on the Zora app. The directory is for information only and is not an endorsement. See Zora’s employer guides for every country.
Rules and eligibility in Japan
Act on Promotion of Women’s Participation
The amended Act states that women’s advancement should take account of women’s health characteristics. The employer action-plan guidance was revised with example workplace health measures: health literacy and training, leave and flexible work, and consultation systems (MHLW).
Disclosure and certification
Employers with 101 or more employees must disclose the gender pay gap and the share of women in management (Keiyaku Watch). The new Eruboshi Plus certification starts on 1 April 2026 (MHLW).
No standalone menopause rules
We found no separate MHLW menopause guidance; menopause sits within its women’s health guidance and company examples, such as personal leave schemes covering menstruation, menopause and fertility treatment.
Why employers choose Zora
Companies including Hilton, LinkedIn, Sanofi, HSBC, Mastercard, Carousell and Singapore Management University work with Zora Health. We work alongside your existing insurance, helping employees use the cover they already have and find suitable doctors and specialists based on their needs.
Zora Health helped me to reclaim my confidence to thrive at work!
Questions HR teams ask us
Do employers in Japan have to give menopause leave?
No. There is no menopause leave in law. Some companies offer personal leave schemes that cover menopause.
What does the amended Women’s Participation Act mean for menopause?
It states that women’s advancement should take account of women’s health, and employer guidance now includes workplace health measures such as training, leave and consultation services.
How much does menopause cost Japanese business?
METI estimates about ¥1.9 trillion a year, mostly from reduced performance and staff turnover.
At what age do Japanese women reach menopause?
Around 51, according to MHLW.
How many Japanese women leave work because of menopause?
Based on a 2021 NHK survey, JILPT estimates between 202,000 and 459,000 women had left a job because of symptoms.
Does Zora replace our health insurance?
No. Zora works alongside your insurance. We help employees understand their options, find suitable specialists and use the cover they already have.
How much does menopause support cost an employer?
It depends on the programme, any allowance and expected uptake. Use the budget planner on this page for a first estimate, then ask us for a tailored proposal based on your headcount and countries.
How quickly can we launch?
Typically 4 to 6 weeks from contract to launch, depending on scope and countries. Most companies start with a single talk.
Related guides for Japan employers
Build a menopause support programme for your team
Whether you are introducing menopause benefits for the first time or improving an existing programme, tell us your headcount, countries and priorities. We will come back within two working days with suitable services, an indicative budget and a practical rollout plan for your Japan team. No obligation.
Sources
- MHLW, Learning materials on health support for women of menopausal age
- METI, Estimated economic loss from women’s health issues, February 2024
- JILPT Research Eye No. 70, November 2021 (NHK survey of 5,334 workers)
- MHLW, Survey on menopausal symptoms and disorders, July 2022
- JAOG (Japan Association of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists), press briefing, June 2026
- Statistics Bureau of Japan, Labour Force Survey 2025
- MHLW, Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2024
- MHLW, Women’s health support for employers
- Keiyaku Watch, Women’s Participation Act amendments
- Aon, APAC medical cost growth, October 2026
- Gallup, This fixable problem costs US businesses $1 trillion, 2019
- Mayo Clinic News Network, Faubion et al., Impact of menopause symptoms on women in the workplace, Mayo Clinic Proceedings, April 2023