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Menopause at Work

The Employment Rights Act 2025 introduces new legal duties to have a policy and action plan to support menopause at work for employers of over 250. Even without this, failing to support women in menopause could be age and sex discrimination and some symptoms of the menopause meet the threshold for disability. Many women are leaving the workforce, or cutting back on what they do because of it. This is a waste of highly experienced women. Approximately 10% of working women who experience menopause symptoms have left their jobs due to the impact of the symptoms of menopause and a further 25 - 28% are considering quitting. Over 40% of women in the UK report that their ability to work was affected by menopause, with many reducing hours or cutting back on responsibilities. 8% of women in studies by the Fawcett Society said that they didn't apply for a promotion or turned down training due to symptoms. These may be under estimates. Research by the Fawcett Society shows that most women are failing to provide adequate support through proper policies and support which could help retain women in the workplace. If you don't already have a policy, develop one. Plan on the actions that you can take to support women in menopause. Train your managers to hold conversations to see what actions are needed to support and retain staff. Provide guidance for women so that they know that they can seek help - also, don't forget: people who are trans can also go through the menopause.






