World Menopause Day: Employer responsibilities for supporting menopause at work

Menopause will impact employers of all sizes. For large employers (those with more than 250 employees), Gender Equality Action Plans have been voluntary since April 2026, but will become mandatory next year.

Employers will have to set out in their Gender Equality Action Plans what steps they are taking to support employees experiencing menopause. The reasons for government intervention are clear: a Fawcett Society study in 2022 reported that 8 out of 10 women aged 45-55 said that their workplace did not offer basic support for menopause.

Example actions recommended by government guidance are:

• Train managers to support employees experiencing menopause. This can help to:

  • Break taboos around menopause and to encourage conversations

  • Increase trust, meaning employees feel safer raising issues

  • Improve retention

  • Improve the use of inclusive policies - trained managers may better recommend flexible working or workplace adjustments

  • Create a cultural shift

• Offer occupational health advice for employees. Offering tailored and expert medical support can:

  • Help employees stay engaged at work

  • Improve retention

  • Reduce sickness absence

• Set up menopause support groups and networks. The guidance points out that there is a low cost to this step, but that the benefits are significant:

  • Peer support may help women to manage their symptoms, reducing sickness absence

  • They can create a safer space for women to address menopausal complaints

• Offer workplace adjustments: The guidance cites research suggesting that menopause symptoms may have a significant effect on career progression, with one in ten women who work during menopause leaving because of their symptoms. Sometimes this happens because employers do not offer enough support or flexibility

Prioritising individual needs may improve retention rates and adjustments may help employees to manage their symptoms and stay in work.

Adjustments might include:

• Flexible working hours

• Access to private rest areas

• Ergonomic office furniture

• Specialist health advice

• Environmental settings (such as temperature and ventilation)

• Conduct a menopause risk assessment. Risk assessments might cover:

  • The temperature and ventilation of the workplace

  • The material and fit of your organisation’s uniform, and if it makes employees feel too hot

  • How easy it is to request extra uniforms

  • If ergonomic furniture is provided or can be requested

  • If there is a suitable place for employees to rest

  • If toilet facilities are easy to get to

  • If cold drinking water is available

  • If managers have been trained on health and safety issues for menopause

  • If employees are aware of their flexible working entitlements and how flexible working requests are accommodated

• Review policies and procedures to meet the needs of employees experiencing menopause. Guidance suggests that employers may want to review their policies on:

  • Flexible working hours - to help employees manage their symptoms and health needs

  • Working from home - so employees have more control over their environment

  • Access to private areas where employees can rest

  • The organisation’s uniform, if there is one, to assess whether it might make employees experiencing menopause feel too hot or cause discomfort

  • The temperature and ventilation of the workplace

  • Ergonomic furniture or equipment to improve comfort

Menopause webinar

Re-watch our recent employment law webinar focused on menopause and our recommended next steps for employers.