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Menopause Action Plans: What UK employers need
to do before 2027
A practical guide for HR & Benefits leaders
Published June 2026
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From April 2026, employers with 250 or more employees are expected to publish a Menopause Action Plan alongside their gender pay gap report. From early 2027, it becomes a legal requirement under the Employment Rights Act 2025.A Menopause Action Plan is a formal, written commitment that sets out how your organisation supports employees experiencing perimenopause and menopause — covering policy, adjustments, manager training, and specialist support. This guide explains exactly what to include and how to get compliant.
- Menopause-related tribunal claims have tripled in recent years
- 67% of women say menopause negatively affects their work
- 1 in 4 women consider leaving their job because of symptoms
- Over 2 in 5 employees are uncomfortable talking about menopause at work
This guide is designed to help HR & Benefits leaders move from good intent to defensible action.
Download to understand:
- What menopause action plans mean under the Employment Rights Act
- What “good” menopause support looks like in practice
- The common gaps that increase legal and ER risk
- The practical steps employers should take now
- How to prepare for mandatory requirements in 2027 without over-engineering
What is a Menopause Action Plan?
A Menopause Action Plan is a formal, written commitment that sets out how your organisation supports employees experiencing perimenopause and menopause. It covers your policy position, the workplace adjustments you offer, how managers are trained to respond, and what specialist support employees can access.
It is distinct from a general menopause policy. A policy states your organisation's principles. An action plan sets out the specific, practical steps you are taking — and is the document the Employment Rights Act 2025 requires large employers to publish.
Is a Menopause Action Plan now a legal requirement?
From April 2026, employers with 250 or more employees are expected to publish a Menopause Action Plan alongside their gender pay gap report. At this stage it is voluntary, but the expectation is clear and early adoption is strongly encouraged by the government.
From early 2027, publication becomes a legal requirement for large employers under the Employment Rights Act 2025. Employers who do not comply risk reputational and regulatory consequences as enforcement guidance is finalised.
If your organisation has 250 or more employees, you should be preparing your plan now.
The timeline: what UK employers need to do in 2026 and 2027
April 2026 — Employers with 250+ employees are expected to publish a voluntary Menopause Action Plan alongside their gender pay gap report. No penalty for non-compliance at this stage, but early publication demonstrates commitment and gives you time to refine your approach.
Early 2027 — Publication becomes a legal requirement under the Employment Rights Act 2025 for large employers. Compliance will be assessed alongside existing gender pay gap reporting obligations.
Now — Organisations should be drafting or reviewing their Menopause Action Plan, ensuring it meets the requirements set out below, and putting the internal processes in place to support it.
What to include in a Menopause Action Plan
Under the Employment Rights Act 2025, a compliant Menopause Action Plan should cover:
- A written menopause policy — setting out your organisation's commitment and the support available to employees
- Manager training — ensuring line managers can have informed, sensitive conversations and know how to signpost support
- Reasonable adjustments — including flexible working, temperature control, uniform options, and attendance flexibility
- Access to specialist support — clinical guidance, coaching, or a dedicated menopause service for employees who need it
- Awareness and education — resources for all employees, not only those experiencing menopause
- Reporting and review — how you will measure the plan's effectiveness and update it on an annual basis
How Peppy supports your Menopause Action Plan
Peppy provides clinically-led menopause support that directly fulfils the specialist support requirement in your action plan. Employees get access to menopause specialists through the Peppy app, with personalised guidance on symptoms, treatment options, and workplace adjustments.
For HR and benefits teams, Peppy provides the reporting and outcomes data you need to demonstrate the impact of your plan year on year.
A menopause action plan is a written, evidence-based framework that sets out how an organisation supports employees through menopause, covering policy, workplace adjustments, manager training and access to specialist support. It goes beyond a general policy statement by setting out the specific, practical steps an employer is taking, and demonstrating that support works in practice, not just on paper.
Not yet, but it's close. Under the Employment Rights Act 2025, UK employers with 250 or more employees can publish a voluntary menopause action plan from April 2026. From early 2027, publication becomes a legal requirement, assessed alongside existing gender pay gap reporting.
From early 2027, large UK employers (250+ employees) will be legally required to publish a menopause action plan under the Employment Rights Act 2025. Voluntary publication opens from April 2026, so organisations preparing now have a full year to refine their approach before it becomes mandatory.
A policy sets out an organisation's principles and commitments on menopause. An action plan goes further: it sets out the specific, evidence-based steps being taken, who owns them, and how their impact is measured. Under the Employment Rights Act 2025, it's the action plan, not the policy alone, that large employers are expected to publish.
UK employers with 250 or more employees are the group directly addressed by the Employment Rights Act 2025's menopause action plan requirement. Employers below that threshold aren't currently required to publish one, but many are choosing to prepare early, both to get ahead of future growth past the threshold and because reasonable adjustment expectations for menopause already apply regardless of company size.
Start by reviewing where menopause-related issues currently show up, in absence data, employee relations cases or manager escalations, to understand where support is weakest. From there, put clear ownership in place, map how easy it is for employees to access support today, and set out the reasonable adjustments and specialist support you'll offer. This guide sets out the full set of practical steps.
A credible menopause action plan should cover a written policy, manager training, reasonable workplace adjustments, access to specialist clinical support, employee awareness and education, and a process for reviewing and reporting on the plan's effectiveness each year. Download our template below to see how these fit together in practice.
Without a credible plan, menopause symptoms are more likely to be raised late, absence and performance issues can escalate, and inconsistent handling across teams increases discrimination risk. Employers may also find it harder to evidence that reasonable steps were taken if a menopause-related case reaches an employment tribunal.