- Most women experience menopause symptoms during their working lives, and two-thirds say they have a mostly negative effect at work (CIPD, 2023).
- Around one in six women have considered leaving work because of a lack of support (CIPD, 2023).
- Menopause symptoms can amount to a disability under the Equality Act 2010, and unfavourable treatment can be discriminatory.
- Practical adjustments, an open culture and access to occupational health keep experienced people in work.
Menopause is a normal life stage that most women go through, typically between the ages of 45 and 55, and increasingly during some of the most senior years of their careers. Around six million women aged 40 to 60 are in work in the UK, and the majority will experience the menopause transition while employed. For many it passes with little disruption; for a substantial number it does not. CIPD research in 2023 found that two-thirds of women with menopausal symptoms said they had a mostly negative effect on them at work.
How menopause affects work
Symptoms vary widely and can be physical and psychological. Common ones include hot flushes, disturbed sleep, difficulty concentrating, low mood, anxiety and joint or muscle aches. In the workplace these translate into reduced concentration, increased stress and, for some, difficulty attending work at all: in the CIPD research, more than half of women said they had at some point been unable to go into work because of their symptoms. Because these symptoms are often attributed to stress, anxiety or musculoskeletal pain rather than menopause, the underlying cause can go unrecognised in absence records.
Small, practical adjustments and an open culture make more difference to menopause at work than any single policy.
The legal position
Menopause itself is not a protected characteristic, but the law is still highly relevant. Where symptoms have a substantial and long-term adverse effect on someone's ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities, they can meet the definition of a disability under the Equality Act 2010, bringing the duty to make reasonable adjustments and protection from discrimination. Unfavourable treatment connected to menopause can also give rise to age or sex discrimination claims. The EHRC has published guidance for employers on menopause in the workplace, and tribunals have increasingly considered menopause-related claims.
Good practice
Record menopause-related absence separately from general attendance, and take care before applying absence triggers such as the Bradford Factor to it. Counting menopause-related absence towards a standard trigger can be unfair and, where the symptoms amount to a disability, potentially discriminatory.
What helps
The measures women themselves report as most helpful are practical: flexible working and the ability to control their environment, particularly temperature.
Medwyn tip
Many of the most effective adjustments cost little: a desk fan and access to cold water, a position away from a heat source, flexibility over start times after a poor night's sleep, breathable uniforms where these apply, and easy access to a toilet and rest facilities. Agreed quietly and without fuss, these make a real difference.
Culture matters as much as any specific measure. Women are far more likely to ask for support, and to stay in work, when menopause can be discussed openly and without embarrassment. Training managers to hold supportive conversations, and having a clear point of contact, signals that the organisation takes it seriously.
Where occupational health fits
Occupational health provides an impartial, confidential route to advice for both the employee and the employer. A menopause assessment or management referral gives work-focused recommendations on adjustments, and helps managers respond fairly and consistently. For a practical starting point, our free Workplace Menopause Guide sets out the steps employers can take to support staff and build a menopause action plan. Supporting women through menopause is not only the right thing to do; it retains skilled, experienced people at the peak of their careers.
This article is general guidance for employers and is not individual medical or legal advice. If you are unsure how it applies to your organisation, contact our team.