Menopause support is no longer a “nice-to-have” workplace benefit. It has become a legal, operational and cultural necessity, and the direction of regulation makes that crystal clear. Forward-thinking employers are shifting from wellbeing messaging to risk management, structured support and documented accountability.
The law has already moved
Tribunals have already accepted that menopause symptoms can meet the legal threshold of a disability under the Equality Act 2010, triggering a duty to make reasonable adjustments. These adjustments range from temperature control and uniform flexibility to hybrid working: all practical measures that reduce litigation risk while keeping performance on track.
Under the Health and Safety at Work Act, employers must also control foreseeable workplace risks. That obligation extends far beyond machinery and manual handling — to uniforms that worsen symptoms, hot working conditions, night shifts and safety-critical roles. In one widely reported case, a mishandled menopause situation resulted in a £29,000 tribunal payout, demonstrating exactly how fast a support gap becomes a legal cost.
Across the economy, HR and compliance teams are seeing rising demand for meaningful menopause support and clear routes to request adjustments. Retaining experienced women during mid-career is no longer framed as wellness: it’s workforce planning.
Put simply: tribunals are ready to treat menopause as a foreseeable risk. Employers who fail to plan for it are increasingly exposed.
The Employment Rights Bill will accelerate change
The forthcoming Employment Rights Bill (ERB) is set to push menopause support into mainstream compliance. The government has already indicated it will proceed with stronger prevention duties and more robust enforcement.
Crucially, organisations with 250+ employees are expected to be required to publish Menopause Action Plans. The likely timeline:
- Voluntary publication from 2026
- Mandatory publication from 2027
These plans won’t be PR documents. They will become evidence of whether an employer took reasonable steps, sitting alongside obligations like harassment prevention, whistleblowing response and collective consultation.
Employers who treat menopause purely as a wellbeing initiative will quickly find themselves behind the compliance curve.
What a compliant strategy looks like
- Identify risks
Audit roles and environments where symptoms could affect performance or safety: PPE, uniformed roles, heat exposure, shift patterns and public-facing jobs with limited autonomy. - Build a practical Menopause Action Plan
Clear scope. A menu of adjustments staff can request. Defined roles for line managers. Review cycles. Data tracking. Accountability. Short and measurable > long and decorative. - Train managers relentlessly
The biggest failure point is the conversation itself: mishandled disclosures, poor documentation, confidentiality breaches. Manager confidence is the differentiator: policies fail when managers don’t know how to have the first conversation, record adjustments, or maintain confidentiality. - Make data your evidence
Track adjustment uptake, absence patterns, grievances and retention of mid-career women. Regulators and tribunals increasingly expect employers to show not only effort but impact.
What to do in the next 90 days
- Update or adopt a menopause policy aligned to EHRC and Acas guidance
- Deliver line-manager briefings: assess competence, don’t assume it
- Pilot a Menopause Action Plan in one risk-exposed department
- Allocate budget for 2026–27 ERB compliance costs
Employers who act early will avoid tribunal claims and reputational hits and retain talent at the exact point careers too often stall.
Prepare now: register for our upcoming Employment Rights Bill webinar
Download a free menopause policy template
Try our menopause training
