Menopause is increasingly recognised as a workplace issue, and employers are being encouraged to take a more structured approach to supporting employees experiencing menopause and perimenopause.
For larger employers, this is also becoming part of the gender equality reporting landscape. New equality action plans will include actions to support employees experiencing menopause, alongside actions to address an organisation’s gender pay gap.
So, what does this mean for employers, and where can occupational health support?
What is menopause?
Menopause is a natural stage of life that occurs when oestrogen levels decline and periods stop. It is usually experienced between the ages of 45 and 55, although this varies from person to person.
The transition leading up to menopause is known as perimenopause and can last for several years.
Symptoms can vary significantly. They may include hot flushes and night sweats, but can also include fatigue, sleep difficulties, anxiety, low mood, memory problems, difficulty concentrating, headaches and joint or muscle aches.
For some people, symptoms can have a significant impact on their working life.
Research from the CIPD found that 73% of women surveyed aged 40 to 60 had experienced symptoms associated with the menopause transition. More than half had experienced a time when their symptoms meant they were unable to go into work.
This means menopause is not simply a personal health issue. For employers, it can also intersect with attendance, performance, employee wellbeing, retention, workplace adjustments and equality.
What is a menopause action plan?
A menopause action plan is a structured way for an organisation to set out the steps it is taking to support employees experiencing menopause.
Under the new equality action-plan arrangements, employers with 250 or more employees can currently publish an action plan alongside their gender pay gap information. These plans are expected to become mandatory from spring 2027, subject to legislation.
The Government’s guidance includes a range of evidence-informed actions that employers can consider. Organisations must include at least one action relating to supporting employees experiencing menopause, as well as at least one action addressing their gender pay gap.
Importantly, a menopause action plan does not mean that every employer needs to introduce exactly the same measures.
The Government guidance encourages employers to consider the needs of their own workforce and choose actions that are relevant to their organisation.
For example, an organisation may consider:
- Providing workplace adjustments for employees experiencing menopause
- Offering occupational health advice
- Training managers to have supportive conversations
- Reviewing workplace policies and procedures
- Improving access to information and support
- Considering menopause as part of workplace health and safety
- Creating a more open culture around conversations about menopause
The aim is not simply to have a policy on paper. The focus is on meaningful actions that can make a practical difference.
What does this mean for employers?
For employers, the new requirements provide an opportunity to look at how menopause is currently considered within the workplace.
This could mean reviewing existing policies, looking at the types of support available and considering whether employees and managers know where to go for help.
It is also important to recognise that menopause affects everyone differently.
One employee may experience relatively few symptoms, while another may experience symptoms that have a considerable effect on their concentration, sleep, mood, confidence or ability to manage their usual working pattern.
The working environment itself can also make symptoms more difficult to manage.
For example, temperature, ventilation, uniforms, access to toilet facilities, working hours and opportunities to take breaks may all be relevant depending on the individual’s circumstances.
ACAS recommends that employers consider these factors as part of workplace health and safety, and that risk assessments should consider whether the working environment or ways of working could make menopause symptoms worse.
This is where a blanket approach may not always be appropriate. Understanding the individual and their working environment can help identify what support may actually be useful.
Where does occupational health fit in?
Occupational health can provide an important link between an employee’s health and their ability to work.
For an employee experiencing menopause symptoms, an occupational health assessment can consider how their symptoms are affecting them at work, the demands of their role and whether there are adjustments that could help them remain at work or work more comfortably.
This might include considering:
- Working patterns and flexibility
- Breaks and opportunities to rest
- Workplace temperature and ventilation
- The physical demands of the role
- Concentration and fatigue
- Sleep-related difficulties
- Mental health and wellbeing
- Medication or treatment where relevant
- Any other health conditions that may be affecting the individual’s experience
- Potential workplace adjustments
The Government’s recommended actions specifically include offering occupational health advice to employees experiencing menopause. It also identifies workplace adjustments such as flexible working, access to private rest areas, ergonomic furniture, specialist health advice, and changes to temperature or ventilation as potential measures employers can consider.
An occupational health assessment can therefore help move the conversation from general menopause awareness to the individual’s specific circumstances.
Supporting the employee, not just the policy
A menopause action plan can provide a useful framework, but effective support goes beyond having a document or policy in place.
Employees may be more comfortable discussing their circumstances when they know that conversations will be handled sensitively and that there are practical options available.
This is particularly important because menopause symptoms can sometimes be mistaken for other issues, such as poor performance, lack of concentration or frequent absence.
Having access to occupational health can give both the employee and employer a clearer understanding of how health may be affecting work and what could help.
It can also be useful where an employee’s symptoms are complex, where previous adjustments have not been effective, or where an employer needs further advice about supporting someone in a particular role.
How Acorn Occupational Health can help
At Acorn Occupational Health, we can support employers with the occupational health aspects of menopause.
Our Management Referral service can provide an assessment of an employee’s health in relation to their role, with practical advice for the employer around fitness for work, adjustments and ongoing support where appropriate.
This can be particularly helpful when menopause symptoms are having an impact on attendance, performance, wellbeing or an employee’s ability to carry out their usual duties.
Occupational health does not replace the importance of good workplace policies, manager awareness or open conversations. Instead, it can form part of a wider approach to menopause support by providing individual, evidence-informed advice.
As menopause becomes a more visible part of workplace health and equality discussions, employers have an opportunity to consider not only what their menopause policy says, but how that support works in practice.