By Jill Pritchard
Menopause is now much more prominent in conversations about workplace health, but many employees still do not receive the understanding and practical support they need.
The Employment Rights Act became law on 18 December 2025, marking an important step forward for gender equality and women’s health in the workplace. While the Act has been formally passed, the requirement for affected employers to publish equality action plans is expected to take effect from spring 2027, subject to secondary legislation.
Organisations with 250 employees or more will be required to publish annual equality action plans setting out the steps they are taking to support employees experiencing menopause.
These are much-needed changes. An estimated 13 million people in the UK are currently perimenopausal or menopausal, and data from the Faculty of Occupational Medicine shows that close to eight in 10 menopausal people are in work. They may experience a wide range of symptoms, from cognitive issues such as brain fog to physical discomfort and psychological effects such as anxiety. These symptoms can create real and often overlooked barriers at work.
The employment impact
To date, not enough has been done to support this substantial portion of the working population.
Research published by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) in 2023 found that less than a quarter (24%) of female employees aged 40 to 60 said their employer had a menopause policy or other support measures. Some 43% said their employer did not, while the remainder did not know.
The findings illustrate the consequences when adequate support is not available. In the CIPD survey, around one in six (17%) of these workers said they had considered leaving their job because of a lack of support with menopause symptoms, while 6% said they had left.
Cost to businesses
The consequences of inaction are clear. Although affected employers are not expected to be required to publish their action plans until spring 2027, the figures underline an important message: do not wait until the requirement comes into effect.
Providing better menopause support should be seen as an opportunity to create healthier, happier and more inclusive teams while supporting long-term organisational performance. Developing an effective action plan before the requirement comes into force is not only the right thing to do; it can also benefit the organisation itself.
Proactively showing employees that you care will help when it comes to attracting and retaining talent. For women, health and career journeys have many challenging intersections spanning from pregnancy to menopause. Recognising and formally supporting these issues in the workplace can help talent to thrive.
A lack of action, meanwhile, can have the opposite effect. Government figures show that menopause-related departures cost UK businesses around £1.5 billion a year, while Oxford Economics data shows that replacing a woman earning £25,000 a year due to menopause can cost her employer over £30,500.
5 steps to developing a relevant menopause action plan
The moral and business cases are clear. But what does an effective menopause action plan actually look like in practice, and how can employers get ahead?
Formalising training for managers so that they can better support team members going through menopause will likely be central to an effective action plan. Equally, considering policies such as flexible working arrangements and environmental changes such as establishing temperature-controlled areas in the office are all potential areas for consideration.
Every workforce will be different, so employers need to listen to their people and consider their specific needs when developing policies and initiatives. For any employer, and particularly those expected to be covered by the new requirement, these five steps provide a practical framework for preparing an effective action plan ahead of spring 2027:
- Discovery
It’s important to begin by reviewing all existing menopause initiatives, evaluating their appropriateness and effectiveness, as well as adoption and usage rates. Without a clear understanding of the current policies, it is difficult to know where improvements can be made, or how progress can be tracked. If information is lacking, employers should consider anonymous feedback forms or other data-gathering exercises to build a better picture.
- Design
Any successful action plan will need input from the people it’s designed to support. Development should be collaborative and inclusive, shaped by people within the business. Listening to personal experiences can help enrich discovery data, providing strong foundations and employee buy-in from which menopause policies can be developed.
- Implementation
Policies must be implemented visibly and practically. Resources should be promoted so that they are widely known, understood and accessible. Peer forums, advocates or confidential health champions can also help prevent menopause support from becoming a siloed issue. The aim is to make these initiatives an ongoing organisational priority that is embedded in everyday working life.
- Communication
Communication is also key to success. Eight in 10 women say their employer hasn’t shared information, trained staff, or put in place a menopause absence policy. If policies aren’t actively promoted, then awareness may lag and initiatives may not be embraced. This should happen at the highest levels. If senior leadership are seen talking about why menopause support matters, or turn up to awareness sessions, then it can reinforce the legitimacy and importance of addressing issues.
- Monitoring
Finally, meaningful change cannot be static. Action plans should not be treated as one-off exercises; they need to be monitored and reviewed regularly to assess the uptake, effectiveness and relevance of support measures. Periodic engagement and feedback surveys can help maintain momentum and demonstrate the organisation’s commitment to continuous improvement.
It’s important to remember that it’s not necessarily all about the policy, rather the people looking for it to support and those driving it. It’s about looking at what’s different after implementation. For example, do line managers know how to have more compassionate conversations? Are they aware of the support and adaptations that can be made to support them?
Don’t wait
Although the requirement is not expected to come into effect until spring 2027, developing a menopause action plan should already be a priority. The Act has become law for a reason: inadequate support is costing organisations valuable talent, with some workers considering leaving or having already left their jobs because of their symptoms.
Starting this process may feel difficult, but employers still have time to take a considered approach before the requirement is expected to come into force. What matters is demonstrating genuine commitment: listening to employees, taking menopause seriously and making changes that deliver a meaningful difference.
Showing employees that you care and providing the right support can help you retain talented people, build healthier and more inclusive teams, and strengthen long-term organisational performance.