Menopause in the workplace is no longer a hidden issue. With the UK’s Employment Rights Bill becoming law in December 2025, organisations are being prompted to take more meaningful action to support women’s health at work.
Under the new legislation, employers with 250 or more employees will be expected to publish annual gender equality action plans. From April 2026 this will be voluntary, but from 2027 it will become mandatory. These plans must outline the steps being taken to support employees experiencing menopause and menstruation.
For many organisations, this may feel like another compliance exercise. It represents something far more significant: an opportunity to build healthier, more inclusive and more productive workplaces.
The scale of the challenge
Menopause affects a substantial proportion of the UK workforce. An estimated 13 million people in the UK are currently perimenopausal or menopausal, and research shows that around to eight in ten of those individuals are in work.
Symptoms can range from hot flushes and sleep disruption to anxiety, low mood, joint pain and cognitive difficulties such as brain fog, significantly impacting confidence, performance and overall wellbeing.
Despite this, workplace support has historically been limited. Research from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) found that fewer than a quarter of women aged 40 to 60 reported having a menopause policy or formal support in place in their workplace. Seventeen per cent said they had considered leaving their job due to a lack of support, and six per cent had done so.
The cost of inaction
It is estimated that menopause-related departures cost UK businesses around £1.5 billion every year. Beyond permanent exits, there are quieter losses. Many women reduce hours, turn down promotions or step back from leadership pathways. Women in their forties and fifties are often at the peak of their experience and influence. Losing them means losing valuable knowledge, mentorship and strategic continuity.
Proactive menopause support is not just the right thing to do; it is a smart investment in long-term organisational performance.
Implementing an effective action plan
An effective menopause action plan should not be approached as a tick-box exercise. To drive meaningful change policies must be embedded into culture, leadership and everyday management practice.
While there is no universal template, employers should consider these steps:
1. Discovery
Before designing anything new, look at where you are now. There is no need to reinvent the wheel; start by looking at what already exists and spotting the gaps. Review existing policies, absence data, gender pay gap reports, exit interview themes and engagement survey results. Look at whether menopause-related adjustments are already being made informally? Are managers confident having conversations about symptoms? Do employees know what support is available? Look at what you already have and the utilisation of these.
Anonymous surveys and facilitated focus groups can provide valuable insight and give employees space to speak openly. Once you have a clear baseline, it will be easier to measure progress.
2. Devise a plan
Successful action plans are built with input from the employees they are designed for. Listen to personal experiences; women at different career stages, in different roles and environments, will have different needs. Taking a holistic view of women’s health strengthens overall inclusion efforts.
Involving employees in shaping solutions builds trust and ensures policies are do what they need to do. This increases uptake, as people are more likely to engage with policies they have helped shape.
3. Implementation
For a policy to be effective, it must be practical and visible. Practical measures might include flexible working arrangements, temperature-controlled spaces, access to occupational health or menopause specialists, and the introduction of health champions or peer support networks.
Equally important is normalising conversations. Menopause should not feel like a sensitive, siloed topic. The goal with implementation is to ensure initiatives remain an ongoing priority of the business that is normalised in the day-to-day.
4. Support and communicate
Line managers play a pivotal role in implementing an effective policy. Providing structured training gives managers the language, confidence and practical tools to support their teams. They should understand potential workplace adjustments, how to approach sensitive conversations and when to escalate concerns. The question is not simply whether a policy exists, but whether managers know how to bring it to life.
Communication is key. When senior leaders speak openly about menopause support, attend awareness sessions or explain why the issue matters, it sends a powerful signal to the team. Visibility from the top is equally critical. Communication should be consistent and multi-channel: team meetings, one-to-ones, internal newsletters and digital platforms. Awareness drives engagement. Without it, even the best-designed initiatives may go unused.
5. Monitor and evaluate
Action plans are not one-off considerations. They must be continually monitored and allowed to evolve. Track uptake of support measures, review retention data for women in midlife and regularly survey employee sentiment to assess relevancy. Doing this can also help maintain momentum, demonstrating that the organisation is committed to continuous improvement. Opportunities for feedback allow for continuous improvement and allow adjustments where initiatives are not delivering as intended.
Time for change
The introduction of mandatory gender equality action plans is a significant milestone. But legislation alone does not create inclusive workplaces, culture does.
Organisations that act early, listen carefully and respond authentically will not just remain compliant. They will retain experienced talent, strengthen engagement and cultivate teams that feel genuinely valued.
The plan doesn’t have to be perfect, but it must have intent. By demonstrating that menopause and women’s health are taken seriously, employers send a clear message that this is a workplace where people are supported through every stage of their career. In doing so, they position themselves to reap the long-term rewards of a healthier, more loyal and more productive workforce.