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Menopause support at work: what UK employers need to provide
How UK employers reduce menopause-related absence and support employees, with practical steps, legal context and real outcomes data.
Menopause support at work means giving employees confidential access to specialist clinical guidance, HRT information and manager training, so menopause symptoms don't force experienced staff out of the workforce. For UK employers, it's become a retention and absence issue and increasingly a legal expectation under the Employment Rights Act 2025. This guide covers what menopause support should include, why it matters for your organisation, and how it differs from an EAP or private medical insurance.
Ready to build a formal menopause action plan for ERA 2025 compliance?
Download our framework below.
What is menopause support at work?
Menopause support at work is the combination of clinical care, manager training, written policy and workplace adjustments that let an employee manage menopause symptoms without stepping back from their role. For UK employers with 500+ staff, it typically should combine four elements:
- Confidential access to menopause-trained clinicians, including HRT guidance
- Line manager training to recognise symptoms and respond consistently
- A written workplace policy, reviewed annually
- Reasonable adjustments to duties, hours or environment
It differs from a standard Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) or private medical insurance (PMI) — neither is built to cover ongoing, symptom-specific menopause care.
Why menopause support matters for employers
The cost of doing nothing
Menopause symptoms are a leading, and largely preventable, cause of absence and attrition among experienced staff. Without support in place, symptoms escalate, absence rises, and women at the peak of their careers step back or leave — taking institutional knowledge with them.
What good support looks like
Good menopause support goes beyond a policy document sitting in a handbook. In practice, it means four things working together:
Clinical access
Confidential, unlimited access to menopause-trained clinicians, including HRT guidance, not just a signposting service.Manager training
Line managers trained to recognise symptoms, respond consistently, and know what reasonable adjustments they can offer without escalating every conversation to HR.A flexible, reviewed policy
A written policy covering adjustments such as flexible hours, temperature control and uniform changes, reviewed annually rather than left to sit unused.Confidential routes to raise concerns
A way for employees to raise symptoms or ask for support without going through their direct line manager, for people who aren't comfortable disclosing to whoever they report to.Menopause support vs. EAP, PMI and wellbeing apps
Most employers already have some combination of a standard EAP, PMI or general wellbeing app in place.
None of these were built to cover menopause in depth, which is where the gaps tend to show up.
| Feature | Peppy | Standard EAP | PMI | Wellbeing app |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Menopause clinicians | Unlimited access | Not offered | Rarely covered | No clinical support |
| HRT / symptom guidance | Yes | No | Often excluded | No |
| Manager guidance | Yes | No | No | No |
Menopause and the Employment Rights Act
The Employment Rights Act 2025 raises the bar on what UK employers need to demonstrate. From April 2026, employers with 250+ staff can publish a voluntary menopause action plan; from early 2027, publication becomes a legal requirement, assessed alongside gender pay gap reporting.
A policy statement alone won't meet this bar. The Act expects evidence that support is genuinely in place and used, including clinical access, manager training and a way to track outcomes.
Ready to build a menopause action plan (MAP)? See our full breakdown of what the Act requires, and our step-by-step guide to building a menopause action plan. Link below.
For the wider ERA 2025 picture beyond menopause, see our Employment Rights Act 2025 hub.
Building a menopause
action plan
A menopause action plan sets out the specific steps an organisation is taking on menopause: policy, manager training, reasonable adjustments, clinical support and how impact is measured. It goes further than a policy statement, and it's what the Employment Rights Act 2025 expects large employers to publish from 2027.
A manager’s guide to supporting menopausal employees
Practical dos and don’ts for line managers.
Do
-
Listen without asking for
a diagnosis or details of symptoms. -
Agree practical
adjustments together,
such as flexible hours,
desk position or uniform changes. -
Keep the conversation confidential and follow up privately.
-
Signpost to your organisation's menopause support without waiting
to be asked.
Don't
-
Assume every employee wants the same adjustments; symptoms and preferences vary widely.
- Treat one conversation as the end of it; check in periodically.
- Make assumptions based on age. Perimenopause can start in the late 30s, and primary ovarian insufficiency affects around 4% of women, sometimes years earlier.
-
Discuss an employee's menopause with colleagues without their consent.
More on menopause support
How Santander reduced menopause-related attrition
Women consider leaving work because of menopause symptoms
Menopause symptoms that affect work performance
Existing is employee-facing. Needs an employer-facing angle.
Frequently asked questions
Menopause support at work is confidential access to menopause-trained clinicians, HRT guidance, manager training and workplace adjustments that help employees manage symptoms without leaving the workforce.
Clinical access to menopause specialists, manager training, and flexible workplace policies are the benefits most directly linked to reduced absence, alongside a confidential route for employees to raise concerns.
Menopause-related absenteeism costs UK businesses an estimated £10.5bn a year, driven largely by preventable absence and the loss of experienced staff who step back or leave.
No. PMI is built around treating diagnosed conditions, not ongoing symptom management. Menopause support and PMI work alongside each other, not as substitutes.
From early 2027, UK employers with 250+ staff will be legally required to publish a menopause action plan. A written policy alone won't meet this bar — employers need evidence that clinical support, manager training and tracked outcomes are genuinely in place.
A menopause workplace policy is a written document setting out how an organisation supports employees through menopause — covering reasonable adjustments, how to raise concerns confidentially, manager responsibilities, and how the policy is reviewed. On its own, a policy document isn't enough to meet the Employment Rights Act 2025 bar; employers also need evidence that support is genuinely accessed and used.
There's no single best benefit, but menopause support consistently shows the strongest link to retention for this group, since it addresses the specific reason experienced women leave: unmanaged symptoms, not lack of engagement. Employers who pair clinical menopause support with manager training see the clearest impact on absence and attrition among staff in this age bracket.
Listen without asking for a diagnosis or details of symptoms, then agree practical adjustments together — flexible hours, desk position or uniform changes are common starting points. Keep the conversation confidential, follow up privately, and don't treat it as a one-off; check in periodically rather than assuming the first conversation resolved things.
No. Trans, non-binary and intersex people may also experience menopause, and partners or male employees are often affected by how well their workplace supports it.
Peppy's outcomes data shows a 58% reduction in severe menopause symptoms at 180 days for employees using clinical support.
