Menopause at work – the changes and action needed

Menopause has historically been treated by some businesses as a private matter for the employee. Some organisations have viewed the issue as awkward or inappropriate for the workplace despite the impact it has on a vast majority of women. However, with the upcoming menopause action plans becoming law, this is quickly becoming an outdated position to take. For many women going through the menopause, symptoms can affect sleep, concentration, temperature regulation, confidence, memory, and resilience. For employers, the growing body of case law and changes means this topic is unavoidable.

Menopause support is about making sure employees can continue to work effectively, safely and with dignity when they are experiencing symptoms that may be disruptive, unpredictable or difficult to discuss. In an ideal scenario, supporting women going through the menopause can make that employee feel happy and secure in their work, and therefore more productive and less likely to leave the business.

In practical terms, adjustments can include better ventilation, access to drinking water, flexibility around start times, adjustments to uniforms, clearer sickness absence handling, or simply managers who know how to have a sensible and respectful conversation. Being receptive in a conversation is the best start.

If the nice approach isn’t enough for you – menopause symptoms are increasing being accepted by the Employment Tribunal as a disability under the Equality Act. Failure to make reasonable adjustments or unfavourable treatment due to something arising from the menopause may present legal risk. Claims may be brought by reference to sex, age or disability discrimination, or all three combined. Where symptoms have a substantial and long-term adverse effect on day-to-day activities, considering disability and the obligations that come along with it are vital in ensuring issues are resolved without recourse to Tribunal claims.

That means employers should avoid seeing menopause support as a purely wellbeing-led initiative. It overlaps with absence management, performance management, health and safety, disability adjustments, retention and employee relations.

So, what’s changing?

The Government has introduced employer action plans as part of wider measures connected with gender pay gap reporting and menopause support. The current guidance says that employers with 250 or more employees should produce and publish voluntary action plans alongside their gender pay gap data. Those plans are intended to set out practical steps the organisation is taking to reduce its gender pay gap and to support employees experiencing menopause.

Although the Government guidance describes the move to mandatory plans as taking effect from spring 2027, employers should treat the period leading up to that date as preparation time rather than time to procrastinate on the issue. Menopause support is moving from best practice into a more formal reporting and planning framework for larger employers.

Key dates – October 2026 and January 2027

The implementation timetable means employers should be alert to the staging points in late 2026 and early 2027. From October 2026, larger employers are expected to be preparing for the new action plan regime in a more structured way, reviewing what support is already in place and identifying the actions they will be able to evidence. By January 2027, employers in scope should ideally have publishable plan ready, with ownership, data, narrative and measurable actions agreed.

The detail will depend on the final regulations and commencement, but action now will prevent rushed measures later. Action plans should be clear and easily understandable, relevant to the people they applies to, set out exactly what steps will be taken and why, and how those actions will be implemented.

Reviewing the implementation of those plans should also be diarised to see what tweaks, if any, can be made to the plan. This isn’t a fire-and-forget issue.

What to include in an action plan?

A useful plan should start with the workplace in terms of the reality on the ground. While it is easy to imagine how it should be, ensuring that the actual needs of the employees the plan will apply to are met is the best way to ensure that the effort being put into this will return an improvement beyond a warm fuzzy feeling. Consider absence data, turnover, employee feedback, flexible working arrangements, grievance themes and whether managers feel equipped and trained to deal with menopause-related conversations.

Identify practical actions. These might include manager training, a menopause policy or guidance notes, access to occupational health, ensuring employees understand how to access this support, a review of uniform or workplace temperature arrangements, and recording of agreed adjustments. The best plans will also explain who is responsible for each action and how success will be measured.

The hard bit

Policies are key to setting expectations, but culture determines whether employees feel able to use them. It is also the hardest part to manage across an organisation. If staff believe they will be judged, dismissed as difficult, or treated as less capable, they are unlikely to raise concerns until the problem has become more serious. Employers should therefore think carefully about confidentiality, language, manager confidence and the tone set by senior leadership.

This can also be a business case, rather than simply because a business must do something. Supporting employees through menopause can help retain skills and experience, reduce absences, improve morale and avoid disputes. Serious effort now will save time, effort, and money later.

Fraser Dawbarns can help

The employment law specialists at Fraser Dawbarns have experience of helping businesses to put suitable measures in place to support employees who are working through the menopause.  For bespoke advice, contact the team or complete an enquiry form and we’ll be in touch.

How To Contact Us:

To contact a member of our team, you can fill in our online enquiry form, email info@fraserdawbarns.com, or call your nearest office below. If you’d like to speak to a member of our team at one of our offices across Norfolk and Cambridgeshire, visit our offices page.

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This article aims to supply general information, but it is not intended to constitute advice. Every effort is made to ensure that the law referred to is correct at the date of publication and to avoid any statement which may mislead. However, no duty of care is assumed to any person and no liability is accepted for any omission or inaccuracy. Always seek advice specific to your own circumstances. Fraser Dawbarns LLP is always happy to provide such advice.