Menopause at work

Menopause is not a protected characteristic in its own right, but the Equality Act 2010 still protects you if you are treated badly because of menopause symptoms. Depending on the situation, that treatment can be sex discrimination, age discrimination or disability discrimination. If your symptoms are severe and long-lasting enough to count as a disability, your employer has a duty to make reasonable adjustments. Employers also have general health and safety duties, and from 6 April 2026 they can publish voluntary menopause action plans, which are due to become mandatory for larger employers in 2027.

How the Equality Act applies

The Equality Act lists nine protected characteristics. Menopause is not one of them, but three of them often cover it:

• Sex: treating someone badly because of symptoms that only affect women, or mocking them, can be direct sex discrimination or harassment related to sex.
• Age: menopause is linked to age, so comments or decisions based on it can be age discrimination.
• Disability: if symptoms have a substantial and long-term effect on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities, they can count as a disability. That brings in the duty to make reasonable adjustments and protection from discrimination arising from disability.

Trans men and non-binary people can also experience menopause, and the gender reassignment characteristic may be relevant. Our guide to discrimination at work explains the different types of claim.

Health and safety duties

Employers must assess risks to their staff’s health and safety. The working environment can make menopause symptoms such as hot flushes, fatigue, poor sleep and difficulty concentrating worse: heat, ventilation, uniforms, access to toilets, shift patterns and how often breaks can be taken all play a part. You can reasonably ask for a risk assessment that takes your symptoms into account.

What support can look like

Most NHS trusts, councils and many schools and academy trusts now have a written menopause policy. Adjustments that employers commonly agree include:

• a desk fan, a seat near a window or a cooler room
• uniforms in breathable fabric, or permission to wear layers
• easy access to toilets and drinking water, and flexibility on breaks
• changes to start times or shift patterns, especially after poor sleep
• temporary changes to duties, such as fewer night shifts
• working from home for some tasks, where the job allows
• an occupational health referral and a follow-up review

Some of these are small and can be agreed directly with your manager. Others are better done through occupational health, which can recommend adjustments in writing. Our guide on reasonable adjustments at work explains what “reasonable” means and how to ask.

For a longer-term change to your hours or pattern, you can make a statutory flexible working request. It has been a day-one right since 6 April 2024. You can make two requests in any 12 months, your employer must decide within two months including any appeal, and it can only refuse for one of eight business reasons. See flexible working requests.

Sickness absence and capability

Sickness absence connected with menopause is handled under your employer’s sickness policy, which usually sets trigger points for formal meetings. If your symptoms count as a disability, applying the triggers rigidly could amount to discrimination, and a reasonable adjustment could be to discount some absence or raise the triggers. Even where symptoms are not a disability, many menopause policies ask managers to take them into account.

Your sick pay entitlement is the same as for any other illness. NHS, council and school staff have occupational sick pay that rises with length of service, and our NHS sick pay guide sets out the scale.

Menopause action plans

The Employment Rights Act 2025 introduces gender pay gap and menopause action plans. From 6 April 2026, employers can publish them on a voluntary basis. The government’s timeline lists mandatory gender and menopause action plans for 2027, with no exact date set yet. They are expected to apply to larger employers, which includes most NHS trusts, councils and government departments. The plans are meant to set out what the employer is doing to support staff going through the menopause.

Raising it at work

If you need support, start with a conversation with your manager or HR, and ask for an occupational health referral if that would help. Write down what you need and why, and keep a short note of what was agreed.

If your employer refuses reasonable support, treats you less favourably or allows colleagues to make comments about your symptoms, you can raise a grievance. ACAS has guidance for both employers and staff on menopause at work, and your union can support you in meetings. Discrimination claims go through ACAS early conciliation first and have a six-month time limit for most claims.

Many NHS employers also run menopause cafés, staff networks and wellbeing services. Our guide to staff wellbeing support in the NHS covers what is commonly available.