Menopause at work: your rights under the Equality Act

Updated 8 November 2026

Some pages describe a new menopause law or a menopause code of practice starting in October 2026. Neither exists. What does exist is useful, though: discrimination law that already covers menopause in many cases, a duty to make adjustments for some people, and action plans for large employers. Here is how it fits together.

Is menopause a protected characteristic?

No. The Equality Act 2010 lists nine protected characteristics, and menopause is not one of them. But Acas, in its guidance on menopause and the law, says that being put at a disadvantage or treated less favourably because of menopause symptoms could be discrimination if it is related to a protected characteristic, for example age, disability, gender reassignment or sex.

In practice, that means a menopause claim is brought as one of those claims. Which one fits depends on what happened.

Sex and age discrimination

Menopause mostly affects women, so treating someone worse because of menopause symptoms can be sex discrimination. It is usually also linked to age, so it can be age discrimination too. Acas points out that age discrimination can affect younger people who go through a medical or early menopause, for example if a colleague makes jokes about it.

Unwanted comments or behaviour about someone's menopause symptoms can be harassment, or sexual harassment, depending on what was said or done. Since 30 October 2026, employers must take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of their employees; our page on harassment at work explains what that means.

When menopause counts as a disability

In some cases menopause symptoms can amount to a disability under the Equality Act. The test is whether you have a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. Long-term generally means it has lasted, or is likely to last, at least 12 months.

If you are disabled, your employer has a duty to make reasonable adjustments to reduce or remove the disadvantages you face. Acas gives the example of recording absence because of menopause separately from other sickness absence, so it does not count against you in the same way. Other adjustments people ask for include:

• temperature control, a desk fan, or a seat near a window
• a change to uniform fabric
• more flexible breaks, or a change to start and finish times
• adjusting performance targets while treatment is being sorted out

Even if your symptoms are not a disability, most employers will consider adjustments like these, and you can make a formal flexible working request from your first day in a job.

Menopause action plans

Since April 2026, employers with 250 or more employees have been able to publish a voluntary action plan alongside their gender pay gap data, setting out how they will close their gender pay gap and support employees going through the menopause. The government's guidance on action plans says these will become mandatory from spring 2027, subject to legislation.

The government's Employment Rights Act timeline gives March 2027 for public authorities and April 2027 for private and voluntary sector employers, in line with the gender pay gap reporting cycle. An action plan is a reporting duty for the employer. It does not create a new right you can enforce in a tribunal, but if your employer publishes one, it is worth reading and quoting when you ask for support.

How to ask for support

You do not have to give a detailed medical history to ask for help. A short, practical request usually works best. It helps to cover:

• what symptoms are affecting your work, in plain terms, such as poor sleep, hot flushes or difficulty concentrating
• which parts of the job they affect, and when
• the specific changes you are asking for, and whether they are temporary while you try treatment
• a date to review how the changes are working

If your employer has an occupational health service, ask for a referral: its advice on adjustments often carries weight with managers. A fit note from your GP can also say you may be fit for work with adjustments, such as altered hours or duties. Keep copies of what you send and what you are told.

Sickness absence and sick pay

If menopause symptoms keep you off work, the ordinary sickness rules apply. Statutory sick pay has been payable from your first day of sickness since 6 April 2026, with no minimum earnings; see our page on sick pay from day one. Ask your employer whether menopause-related absence is treated separately under its absence policy, especially if absence triggers warnings.

What to do if you are treated unfairly

Keep a note of what happened, when, and who was involved. Talk to your manager or HR, or occupational health if your employer has it, and ask in writing for the adjustments you need. If that does not work, raise a formal grievance.

A discrimination claim goes to an employment tribunal. The time limit is six months less a day where the act happened on or after 1 October 2026, or three months less a day if it was earlier, and for a run of conduct it is counted from the end of the period. You must contact Acas for early conciliation before the limit runs out. Our page on the discrimination claim time limit explains the details.