Menopause Action Plans: what employers need to do (and why it matters)

Menopause Action Plans: what employers need to do (and why it matters)

Menopause has moved firmly into the employment law spotlight.

Under the Employment Rights Act 2025, employers with over 250 employees will be required to set out how they are supporting women at work, including how they support employees experiencing menopause.

For HR leaders, this marks a clear shift. Menopause support is no longer treated as a discretionary or informal area of wellbeing. It’s increasingly used as a measure of organisational readiness, fairness and risk management.

This guide explains what menopause action planning means in practice, why it matters now, and how employers can prepare, with confidence and credibility.

Firstly, what is a Menopause Action Plan?

A Menopause Action Plan (MAP) is a clear, written framework that explains how your organisation supports employees experiencing menopause in day-to-day working life.

While the term “Menopause Action Plan” is widely used, it’s important to be precise:

The Employment Rights Act introduces a requirement for large employers to publish Equality Action Plans.

These plans must include the actions an employer is taking to support women in the workplace, including support during menopause.

In practice, many organisations are creating a dedicated menopause action plan as part of (or alongside) their Equality Action Plan to ensure menopause support is clear, visible and consistently applied.

A strong menopause action plan typically covers:

• Clear ownership and accountability
• Guidance and training for managers
• Practical, reasonable workplace adjustments
• Access to appropriate health and wellbeing support
• Consistent handling across teams and locations

The aim is to support employees earlier, reduce escalation, and prevent menopause symptoms from converting to absence, performance issues, grievances or attrition.

Why menopause action planning matters now

The Employment Rights Act 2025 introduces a phased approach for Equality Action Plans:

• From 2026: Large employers (250+ employees) will be able to publish plans voluntarily
• From 2027: Publication is expected to become mandatory, subject to further regulations and guidance

Many employers are choosing to act before the requirement comes into force to reduce risk and improve consistency now.

Menopause is already a high-risk employment issue

Menopause frequently intersects with:

• Sex and age discrimination
• Reasonable adjustments
• Sickness absence and performance management
• Retention of experienced employees

Recent employment tribunal analysis shows that claims referencing menopause have increased significantly over the past few years, reflecting how often menopause-related issues now surface in formal disputes.

As legal scrutiny increases, decisions are increasingly judged on practical questions, such as:

• Were symptoms recognised and supported early?
• Was support visible and accessible?
• Were adjustments applied fairly and consistently?
• Did informal handling or delays worsen outcomes?

Menopause action planning is quickly becoming a practical test of whether an organisation took reasonable steps, not just whether it had good intentions.

The scale of the issue

Menopause is already affecting work, whether it is formally acknowledged or not.

According to UK government-referenced research:

• 8 in 10 menopausal women say their workplace has no basic support in place
• 1 in 10 women who worked during the menopause left their job due to their symptoms
• A 5% increase in female employment (equivalent to halving the gender employment gap) could boost UK GDP by up to £125bn every year.

With millions of women aged 45–60 currently in work, the impact on retention, experience and organisational knowledge is significant.

At the same time, 2 in 3 employees say they are uncomfortable raising menopause at work, meaning issues often surface late, once problems have already escalated.

What “good” looks like in practice

A credible menopause action plan isn’t about medical expertise or over-engineering solutions. It’s about clarity, consistency and access to support.

In practice, effective plans mean:

• Employees know where to go and how to ask for help
• Support is available early, not only once absence or performance issues arise
• Managers are supported and guided, not expected to diagnose or manage symptoms alone
• Reasonable adjustments are handled fairly and transparently
• Menopause is treated as a workplace health issue, not a private matter individuals must navigate alone

What employers need to do

These steps are not a legal checklist. They reflect what employers need in place to meet emerging expectations under the Employment Rights Act and to reduce employee relations and discrimination risk.

1. Understand where menopause risk shows up

• Review absence, performance and ER cases where menopause may have been a factor
• Identify where issues were raised late or handled inconsistently
• Speak to managers about confidence and capability

Outcome: You understand where escalation currently happens.

2. Put clear ownership in place

• Define who is responsible for menopause support (HR, People, Wellbeing)
• Clarify what managers are expected to do (and what they are not)
• Ensure menopause is integrated into wider health and absence frameworks

Outcome: Clear, consistent handling across the organisation.

3. Make early support easy to access

• Employees should not need to disclose to multiple people to get help
• Support should be confidential and available without formal escalation
• Access should not rely solely on line manager confidence

Outcome: Issues are addressed before they escalate.

4. Set out reasonable adjustments clearly

Menopause adjustments should be treated like any other health-related adjustment.

Common examples include:

• Flexible working hours or location
• Adjustments to uniforms or dress codes
• Temperature control (fans, ventilation)
• Easy access to water and toilets
• Time off for medical appointments

Outcome: Adjustments are fair, consistent and defensible.

5. Equip managers properly

• Provide practical guidance for menopause-related conversations
• Clarify when and how to signpost to expert support
• Remove pressure on managers to manage symptoms alone

Outcome: Managers act earlier and with confidence.

6. Communicate clearly

• Make menopause support visible and easy to find
• Use clear, human language, not legal or medical jargon
• Include FAQs and clear signposting

Outcome: Employees know support exists and how to access it.

7. Review and improve

• Gather feedback from employees and managers
• Use data to identify gaps and inconsistencies
• Treat menopause action planning as an evolving process

Outcome: Support improves over time and reflects real needs.

What happens if you don’t act

Without early, structured menopause support:

• Symptoms are raised late, if at all
• Absence and performance issues escalate
• Managers feel exposed and unsure
• Inconsistency increases discrimination risk
• Experienced employees disengage or leave
• Employer decisions are harder to defend

Menopause-related cases rarely fail because of bad intent. They fail because support wasn’t accessible early enough.

Where Peppy fits: supporting menopause action plans in practice

Peppy helps organisations turn menopause action planning from policy into practical, lived support.

What Peppy provides

• Direct access to menopause-trained clinicians
• Confidential 1:1 chats and consultations
• Ongoing, holistic care 
• Support that considers both symptoms and their impact at work

Why this matters

Peppy helps employers:

• Act earlier
• Reduce escalation into absence or employee relations cases
• Apply support consistently across teams and locations
• Take pressure off managers
• Evidence reasonable, proportionate action in practice

Peppy doesn’t replace HR or legal processes. It strengthens them by ensuring expert support is available when it matters most.

Preparing now puts you ahead

Menopause action planning is becoming a baseline expectation.

Employers that act early aren’t just preparing for compliance, they’re protecting experience, retaining talent and creating healthier, more sustainable workplaces.

Download this guide to find out more and to share internally with your colleagues.