Workplace Legislation

This is a subject close to my heart.  As I have mentioned in a previous post, (click HERE) managing menopause at work for me has been very difficult over the years.

So it's great to hear (for the UK at least) there are changes afoot for employers to help women managing their menopause in the work place.

The Employment Rights Bill (originally introduced in October 2024) contains a requirement for employers with 250 or more employees to publish an action plan on how they support employees experiencing the menopause.

The Bill states that larger employers (250+ employees) will need to publish a “menopause action plan” (as part of what it describes as an equality action plan) outlining the steps they are taking to support employees going through menopause.

The new change is that from April 2026, voluntary adoption starts, and MANDATORY compliance from 2027 for the 250+ employee threshold employers.

For smaller employers (< 250 employees), the requirement is not mandatory under that provision, but guidance is to be provided.

Until now, there has been no specific legislation solely focused on menopause rights, although employees may rely on existing protections (e.g., under the Equality Act 2010 if symptoms amount to a disability or involve age/sex discrimination).