Menopause at work: your rights, workplace adjustments and talking to your manager

Name: Menopause at work: your rights, workplace adjustments and talking to your manager
Creator: MenoWoman

Menopause symptoms affect many women at work, and simple adjustments such as cooler workspaces, breaks and flexible hours often help. In the UK, the Equality Act 2010 can protect you, and large employers are being asked to publish menopause action plans.

Researched by the MenoWoman team. Edited by Marcela Sat. Updated 7 November 2026. We may earn from links.

See a doctor if symptoms stop you working, sleeping or concentrating, or if you feel very low or anxious. Heavy or very irregular bleeding, or any bleeding after menopause, also needs checking. A doctor can treat symptoms and may provide a note supporting adjustments.

How menopause can affect work

About 80% of midlife women have hot flashes or night sweats.⁵ Other symptoms, such as poor sleep, anxiety and brain fog, can also make work harder.⁶

The CIPD, a UK HR body, surveyed working women aged 40 to 60 with symptoms. Of these, 67% said the effect on work was mostly negative.¹ Of those, 79% found it harder to concentrate and 68% felt more stressed.¹ More than half could recall missing work because of symptoms.¹

The symptoms that most often affect work include:

Hot flashes (hot flushes in the UK) and night sweats
Sleep problems and fatigue
Brain fog and anxiety
Headaches and joint pain

Your rights in the UK: the Equality Act 2010

This section is general information, not legal advice. Laws change, and your situation may differ. Checked 7 November 2026.

Menopause is not a protected characteristic on its own under the Equality Act 2010.^3,4 But the Act protects workers from discrimination, harassment and victimization linked to sex, age and disability.¹

Guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), published in 2024, says menopause symptoms can count as a disability. This applies if they have a substantial, long-term effect on normal daily activities.¹ In that case, employers must make reasonable adjustments.¹

UK legal commentators say tribunal claims about menopause are rising. They usually involve sex or disability discrimination, or failure to make adjustments.³ Disciplining someone over symptom-related absence or performance may also lead to claims.⁴

Menopause action plans under the Employment Rights Act 2025

General information, not legal advice. Details depend on further regulations.

The Employment Rights Act 2025 is described as the first UK employment law to name menopause as a workplace equality issue.⁴ Government guidance was published on 4 March 2026.^2,3

From April 2026: employers with 250 or more staff are encouraged to publish a voluntary action plan alongside their gender pay gap data.^2,3
From spring 2027: action plans are expected to become a legal requirement for large employers. The exact details depend on further regulations.^3,4
What plans include: employers choose actions from a government list.² Legal commentators say a plan should include at least one menopause action and at least one gender pay gap action.^3,4

The guidance covers menopause risk assessments, supportive conversations with managers and adjustments such as flexible hours, rest areas and better furniture.² It suggests employers set a response time for adjustment requests, such as 10 working days, and agree any changes in writing.² The guidance cites research finding that one in ten women who work during menopause leave their jobs because of symptoms.² Smaller employers are encouraged to act too.⁴

Outside the UK

Rules differ a lot between countries, and many have no menopause-specific law. General laws on sex, age or disability discrimination, health and safety, or flexible working may still apply.

To find out where you stand:

Read your employer's menopause, wellbeing or flexible working policy.
Ask HR, occupational health or your union.
Contact your country's government equality or employment agency.
For a dispute, get advice from an employment lawyer or a free legal advice service.

This page cannot tell you what applies to you, so check locally before you act. Keep copies of emails, notes from meetings and any fit notes or doctor letters, in case you need them later.

Workplace adjustments that help

Adjustments are often simple and low cost. The UK government guidance mentions flexible hours, private rest areas and ergonomic furniture.² It also suggests letting staff take breaks when needed and giving them some control over their surroundings, such as a fan or a desk near a window.² Other common ideas include:

Temperature: a desk fan, a seat near a window or away from heaters, and control over heating where possible.
Clothing: uniforms in breathable fabrics, extra sets, or permission to remove layers. See clothing.
Breaks: easy access to toilets, drinking water and a quiet space to rest.
Hours: flexible start times after a bad night, or some home working.
Tasks: written notes after meetings and fewer interruptions on brain-fog days.
Time off: leave for medical appointments.

Treating the symptoms can help too. Options include hormone therapy, non-hormonal medicines and CBT. A menopause telehealth service may help if appointments are hard to fit around work. Breathing exercises can be done at a desk.

How to talk to your manager about menopause

Many women worry about raising menopause at work. Planning the conversation can make it easier:

Check the policy first. See whether your employer has a menopause policy or named contact.
Choose who to tell. If your manager feels hard to approach, try HR, occupational health or a menopause champion.
Keep a short symptom diary. Note how symptoms affect specific tasks, such as early meetings or a hot room.
Bring solutions. Suggest one to three adjustments you think would help, and ask for a trial period.
Agree what is shared. Say who else may know, and what stays private.
Put it in writing. Send a short email afterwards that lists what was agreed and a review date.

It can help to rehearse what you will say. For example: "I am going through menopause. Poor sleep is making early meetings hard. Could I start an hour later for the next two months, then review?" Keeping the request specific and time-limited makes it easier to agree.

You do not have to share medical details you are not comfortable with. If a request is refused or ignored, ask for the reason in writing. Then seek advice from HR, a union or a legal adviser.

What it is used for: evidence rated

Option	Evidence	What the research shows
Treating symptoms with your doctor	Strong evidence	The Menopause Society recommends several non-hormonal medicines for hot flashes; hormone therapy is another option to discuss.⁷
CBT	Strong evidence	Recommended for hot flashes by The Menopause Society in 2023.⁷
Temperature control and fans	Some evidence	Advised by Mayo Clinic and low risk, but The Menopause Society does not recommend cooling as a treatment because evidence is limited.^7,8
Flexible hours or home working	Some evidence	Named in UK government guidance on menopause action plans; the guidance draws on surveys and reviews rather than trials.²
Rest areas and breaks	Some evidence	Listed in UK government guidance as a practical adjustment.²
Supportive managers and a menopause policy	Weak evidence	UK guidance asks employers to make sure HR and managers can hold supportive conversations; it draws on surveys and reviews, not trials of the effect on symptoms or retention.²

Ratings explained: how we rate. Always talk to a doctor or pharmacist before starting a medicine or supplement.