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Menopause at work: your rights and how to ask for support

Around one in ten women who worked through the menopause left a job because of their symptoms. The law gives you more protection than many employers admit, and you can use it.

By Sian Anderson. Published 5 November 2026. 7 minute read. Information, not medical advice.

Sian Anderson, Writer and editor, MyGLP. Sources checked 5 November 2026.

The scale of the problem

In February 2024 the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) published guidance for employers on menopause in the workplace. The EHRC announcement brought together the figures behind the guidance.

Menopause and work in the UK, as reported by the EHRC in 2024
Finding	Source cited by the EHRC
About 1 in 10 women who worked during the menopause left a job because of symptoms	Fawcett Society, 2022
Two thirds of working women aged 40 to 60 with symptoms said the effect at work was mostly negative	CIPD, 2023
Only 12% of respondents had asked for workplace adjustments	House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee, 2022
Over a quarter of those who did not ask said they feared the reaction	House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee, 2022

The EHRC chair said the regulator was concerned by how many women report being forced out of a role.

Your three protections under the Equality Act

Menopause is not a protected characteristic on its own. The EHRC explains how three of the protected characteristics in the Equality Act 2010 apply.

Sex. Treating you less favourably because of menopause symptoms can be sex discrimination.
Age. Menopause-linked treatment can also be age discrimination.
Disability. Symptoms count as a disability if they have a substantial and long-term effect on your normal day-to-day activities. Then your employer must make reasonable adjustments and must not discriminate against you.

When menopause symptoms count as a disability

The leading case is Maria Rooney, a children's social worker at Leicester City Council for 12 years. She took sick leave in 2017 and 2018 with menopause symptoms, anxiety and depression, got a formal warning about her absences and resigned. In February 2022, a ruling reported by the EHRC found she was disabled, with the disability arising from her menopause symptoms combined with stress and anxiety. The EHRC describes this as the first Employment Appeal Tribunal decision holding menopause symptoms can amount to a disability under the Equality Act. The EHRC then funded her representation at the full hearing.

Not every woman's symptoms will meet the test. The question is how much your symptoms affect normal day-to-day activities, and for how long. Keep a record of how symptoms affect your daily life, not only your work.

What reasonable adjustments mean

Section 20 of the Equality Act 2010 sets out the duty. Where a practice, a physical feature of the workplace or the lack of an aid puts a disabled person at a substantial disadvantage, the employer must take reasonable steps to avoid the disadvantage. The employer cannot make you pay any part of the cost.

Ideas to discuss with your manager, matched to symptoms:

Adjustments to raise with your employer. Which ones are reasonable depends on your job and workplace
Symptom	Adjustments to ask about
Hot flushes	A desk fan, a seat near a window or away from heaters, breathable or optional uniform layers
Night sweats and poor sleep	A later start, flexible hours, or fewer early shifts for a period
Brain fog	Written notes after meetings, quieter space for focused work, task lists agreed in writing
Heavy or unpredictable bleeding	Easy access to toilets, spare uniform, breaks when needed
Anxiety or low mood	Regular check-ins, access to occupational health or an employee assistance service
Appointments	Time off for GP, menopause clinic and talking therapy appointments

Menopause action plans from 2027

The government guidance on equality action plans, first published in March 2026, covers employers with 250 or more staff. They can publish a first plan voluntarily during the 2026 to 2027 reporting year, and plans become mandatory from spring 2027, subject to legislation. Each plan must include at least one action to support staff through the perimenopause and after the menopause.

The guidance says support should not be limited to women aged 45 to 55, and actions can also help staff with endometriosis, fibroids or polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS, the newer name for PCOS). If you work for a large employer, ask to see its plan. The Women's Health Strategy for England notes the Civil Service and NHS England both signed a menopause workplace pledge.

How to raise the menopause at work

Check your employer's menopause, sickness and flexible working policies first.
Write down your symptoms, how they affect your work, and what would help. Specific requests get specific answers.
Ask for a private meeting with your manager, or with HR or occupational health if you prefer. You can bring a trade union representative if you have one.
Agree adjustments in writing, with a date to review them.
Ask whether menopause-related absence will be recorded separately from other sickness, so warnings do not stack up for a health condition.
If nothing changes, raise a formal grievance and get advice from a union or employment adviser early.

You do not need a diagnosis to start the conversation. A GP letter can help if symptoms are severe, and treatment for flushes and sleep, covered in our hot flushes guide, often makes work easier too.

If you manage someone

Few people ask for help unprompted, as the 12% figure suggests. A short, private question about how someone is doing, and a willingness to try simple changes, makes asking easier. Men managing women through the menopause can do this as well as anyone. The skill is listening and following through.

Anxiety and brain fog are often the symptoms women find hardest at work. Our mood guide covers what helps and when to see a GP. If tiredness is the main problem, read tired all the time, and for preparing for a GP appointment see getting heard at the GP.

If you are facing a capability process, a disciplinary or dismissal linked to menopause symptoms, get advice before you resign. Speak to a trade union, an employment solicitor or an employment adviser as soon as possible, because tribunal claims have strict time limits.

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Sources

Menopause in the workplace: guidance for employers (Equality and Human Rights Commission, 2024)
Regulator provides advice to employers on menopause and the Equality Act (Equality and Human Rights Commission, 2024)
Equality watchdog supports tribunal hearing on alleged menopause discrimination (Equality and Human Rights Commission, 2023)
Equality Act 2010, section 20: duty to make adjustments (legislation.gov.uk)
Creating an action plan: guidance for employers (GOV.UK, 2026)
Women's Health Strategy for England (Department of Health and Social Care, 2022)

Sian Anderson

Sian writes the health and nutrition guides on MyGLP. Every clinical claim links to the NHS, NICE, a medical royal college, a regulator or a peer-reviewed paper, and the pages carry no medical advice.

Questions

Is menopause protected under the Equality Act 2010?

Not on its own, but the EHRC says you can be protected under sex, age and disability. If symptoms have a substantial, long-term effect on day-to-day activities, they can count as a disability, and your employer must make reasonable adjustments.

Can menopause be classed as a disability?

Yes, in some cases. In the Rooney case in 2022, an Employment Appeal Tribunal decision held that menopause symptoms combined with stress and anxiety amounted to a disability. Whether yours qualify depends on how severe and long-lasting they are.

What reasonable adjustments can I ask for during the menopause?

Common requests include a desk fan, flexible start times, uniform changes, easy toilet access, written notes after meetings and time off for appointments. Which are reasonable depends on your role. Your employer cannot charge you for them.

Do employers have to have a menopause policy?

No law requires a policy today. Government guidance published in 2026 says employers with 250 or more staff can publish a menopause action plan voluntarily now, with plans mandatory from spring 2027, subject to legislation.

How do I tell my manager about menopause symptoms?

Ask for a private meeting, explain how your symptoms affect your work, and bring specific requests. Agree any changes in writing with a review date. You can ask HR or occupational health to join, or bring a union rep.