- Large employers will need to publish menopause action plans under the Employment Rights Act, with mandatory requirements expected from 2027 and encouragement to act from 2026.
- Menopause is now recognised as a workplace issue linked to fairness, retention and performance, not just health or wellbeing.
- A menopause policy alone will not be enough. How managers respond, and how support works in practice matter more.
- Employers do not need to wait for final guidance to act. Building manager confidence, improving access to support and understanding current gaps are sensible first steps.
- Organisations that act early will reduce risk, retain experienced women and create more consistent employee experiences.
Thanks to the Employment Rights Act, employers must treat menopause as something they plan for and support, not something employees manage alone. This reflects a wider shift in how fairness, performance and retention intersect at work.
This article explains what the Employment Rights Act means for employers, why menopause now sits firmly in the employment space, and what good support looks like in practice.
What the Employment Rights Act means for employers and menopause
Under the Employment Rights Act, large employers will need to publish action plans explaining how they address the gender pay gap and how they support employees through menopause. This will apply to organisations with 250 or more employees. Mandatory action plans are expected from 2027, with clear encouragement to act from 2026.
Some details are still being consulted on and will come through guidance over time. The government is introducing changes in phases, giving employers time to prepare.
That does not mean organisations should wait.
As HR consultant Yolande Knock put it during Anya’s recent webinar:
“If you wait until everything is finalised, you lose valuable time. Most of what employers need to do already sits within good people management.”
The risk lies in delaying action or treating this as a simple compliance exercise rather than a workforce issue.
Why menopause is now a workplace issue, not just a health one
Menopause affects a significant part of the workforce, particularly women in their late forties and fifties. These are often employees with deep experience, leadership responsibility and high replacement cost.
When workplaces fail to support menopause, the impact shows up clearly:
- Increased sickness absence and presenteeism
- Reduced confidence and performance
- Missed progression opportunities
- Experienced women leaving work
“One in ten women leave work because of menopause symptoms. That’s not a wellbeing statistic. That’s a talent and retention problem.”
Chloe Trenchard, HR expert
Many women continue working through symptoms without explaining why. Others fear being seen as less capable if they speak up. Over time, many step back quietly or leave altogether.
The Employment Rights Act recognises that these outcomes link directly to workplace conditions, not personal resilience.
Why a menopause policy alone will not work
Many organisations already have policies covering flexible working, sickness absence or reasonable adjustments. Yet women still report feeling unsupported.
The issue is rarely intent. It is how support works day to day.
Common problems include:
- Policies that people do not understand or use
- Managers who want to help but do not know what to say
- HR teams responding only when things reach crisis
- Support that relies on employees pushing for help
Women’s health lead Buki Fatuga explained this clearly in the webinar:
“If you have a menopause policy but nobody knows about it, it won’t change anything. Support only works when people feel safe enough to use it.”
Inconsistent responses also create risk. Outcomes often depend on the individual manager rather than a fair, joined-up approach.
What employers should focus on now
Employers do not need to wait for final guidance to take meaningful action. Many HR teams are already focusing on a few practical priorities.
1. A menopause approach people can actually use
This means:
- Clear signposting to support
- Practical examples of reasonable adjustments
- Simple guidance for managers on next steps
2. Confidence and support for line managers
Managers do not need to become menopause experts. They do need to listen well, respond respectfully and know when to involve HR or specialist support.
As Yolande Knock said:
“Line managers are where policy either works or breaks down. If they’re not confident, everything else falls apart.”
3. Access to specialist menopause support
GP access and general EAPs often leave gaps. Menopause symptoms are varied and ongoing. Many women need consistent, specialist support rather than one-off conversations.
Anya founder Dr Chen Mao Davies explains why this matters:
“Women often tell us they don’t know what’s happening to their bodies, or they’ve been dismissed before. Access to trusted, specialist support changes that.”
4. A way to understand what is happening in your organisation
Looking at absence data, engagement feedback and turnover can show where menopause already affects your workforce. Benchmarks and surveys help move the conversation from anecdote to evidence.
What good menopause support looks like at work
There is no single template that works for every organisation. But employers who support menopause well tend to share common traits.
- Employees know where to go for help without repeatedly explaining themselves
- Managers respond in a consistent and respectful way
- Adjustments feel normal rather than exceptional
- Support reaches frontline, shift and remote workers
- HR teams can show action, not just intention
As Buki Fatuga notes:
“Menopause is not one size fits all. The most important thing is listening and working out what helps that person.”
Crucially, menopause support sits alongside wider work on retention, fairness and performance. It does not sit on the edge of a wellbeing strategy.
How to prepare in a sensible way
The strongest responses to the Employment Rights Act focus on basics done well.
That usually means:
- Building on existing policies and processes
- Closing gaps in manager confidence and access to care
- Avoiding multiple disconnected initiatives
- Choosing support that works across the whole workforce
- Learning from employee experiences and feedback
For many employers, the aim is consistency rather than scale.
What employers should do next
If you are preparing for the Employment Rights Act, start by understanding where you are today.
That might include:
- Reviewing absence and turnover patterns
- Asking managers how confident they feel supporting menopause
- Benchmarking your current approach
- Identifying where employees struggle to get support
- Reviewing what support exists under benefits such as Private Medical Insurance
The law creates momentum. The real opportunity lies in building workplaces where experienced women can stay, contribute and progress without feeling pushed out.
Chloe Trenchard sums it up:
“This isn’t about doing something new. It’s about doing the right things properly.”
Final thoughts
The Employment Rights Act does not expect employers to have menopause support fully figured out today. But it does make one thing clear: doing nothing is no longer an option.
For some organisations, this will mean building menopause support for the first time. For others, it will mean strengthening what already exists and closing the gaps between policy and practice.
“What we’re seeing is that menopause support often exists in pockets. The challenge is making it consistent and accessible for everyone, not just those who know how to ask.”
Chloe Trenchard, HR expert
This moment is about moving from intention to action. That might involve new policies, new conversations, new training or new support routes. It almost always involves helping managers feel more confident and making sure women do not have to struggle in silence to stay in work.
The employers who respond well will not just meet future requirements. They will hold on to experience, protect performance and show that they value women at every stage of their working lives.