A menopause workplace policy should be more than a statement that an employer supports staff experiencing menopause. As awareness of menopause’s impact in the workplace grows, employers are increasingly expected to provide practical support, appropriate workplace adjustments, and effective management practices.
The launch of BS ISO 45010, a new international standard addressing menstruation and menopause in the workplace, gives employers another framework for reviewing how effective their current approach really is. The guidance comes at an important time for UK employers, with menopause action plans set to become mandatory for larger employers in 2027. Employers should therefore consider whether their menopause workplace policy reflects current good practice and whether employees experiencing symptoms receive meaningful support.
What Is the New BS ISO 45010 Standard?
BS ISO 45010 is the first international standard that provides guidance designed to help organisations support employees experiencing menstruation and menopause at work. Published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), it builds on the British Standard BS 30416, introduced in 2023, establishing a broader approach that organisations of different sizes and across different sectors can apply.
BS ISO 45010 helps organisations develop workplace policies and practices that support menstrual and menopausal health. It covers workplace culture, policies and procedures, manager training, workplace design and methods for measuring whether support is effective. The standard also introduces guidance around disclosure and privacy, alongside a wider range of practical workplace actions.
Importantly, BS ISO 45010 is guidance rather than a new statutory employment right. However, it provides employers with a useful benchmark against which to review existing practices.
Why Menopause in the Workplace Matters
Menopause can affect employees in different ways. Symptoms can be physical and psychological and may affect concentration, confidence, sleep, energy levels and an individual’s ability to manage particular working conditions. This can translate directly into workplace difficulties. An employee experiencing severe symptoms may struggle with a hot working environment, long shifts and more.
Employers should also recognise that employees may be reluctant to discuss what they’re experiencing. Research published by BSI alongside the new international standard found that only 38% of UK employees who’d experienced menopause, perimenopause or menstrual health-related challenges felt confident their employer would support them in finding a solution. Only 19% said they would feel confident discussing the issue with HR.
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This makes organisational culture particularly important. A menopause workplace policy will achieve little if employees don’t feel comfortable using it. Employers should therefore consider not only what their written policy says, but whether managers have the knowledge and confidence to implement it sensitively.
Review Your Existing Menopause Workplace Policy
Employers that already have a menopause policy should avoid treating it as a document to introduce once and then forget. Acas recommends sharing a menopause policy throughout the organisation and reviewing it regularly. It should help employees understand menopause, recognise that experiences differ and know what support is available.
The policy should also explain who employees can approach for support and what training managers receive. Employers should consider whether related workplace policies are consistent with their menopause commitments.
For example, a supportive menopause policy could be undermined by an absence management process that automatically penalises an employee for menopause-related sickness without considering their individual circumstances. The aim should be to create a consistent framework, not a standalone policy that operates separately from everyday HR practices.
Make Workplace Adjustments for Menopause Practical
One of the most important aspects of supporting menopause in the workplace is recognising that different employees may require different solutions. Workplace adjustments for menopause could involve changing start or finish times, allowing additional breaks or providing access to a quiet or private area, among other things.
READ: First Menopause Discrimination Case in the UK: What Should Employers Keep in Mind?
Changes to the physical environment can also make a significant difference. Better ventilation, suitable uniforms and control over workplace temperature may help employees experiencing symptoms such as hot flushes. Whatever the case, employers should discuss potential changes directly with the employee rather than assuming what they need. Changes should be agreed in writing, and then follow-up conversations should take place to determine whether they remain effective.
Train Managers to Handle Menopause Conversations
Managers are likely the first point of contact when an employee needs workplace support, so appropriate training is essential. A policy can explain that employees should speak to their manager, but that instruction is unlikely to work if the manager feels embarrassed discussing menopause or doesn’t understand the support available. Training should help managers understand how menopause can affect employees, how relevant employment law applies and how to discuss symptoms sensitively and confidentially.
Employers may also consider providing an alternative point of contact. An employee who does not feel comfortable speaking to their direct manager could instead initially approach HR, a wellbeing champion or another appropriately trained person.
Consider Privacy and Confidentiality
The new BS ISO 45010 specifically includes guidance addressing disclosure and privacy, making this another area employers should consider when updating their policies. Menopause involves personal health information, and employees may understandably be uncomfortable discussing symptoms with colleagues or having information shared unnecessarily. Managers should therefore understand how conversations will be kept confidential and when information may need to be shared to implement agreed support.
A workplace culture that treats menopause as a source of jokes or gossip can discourage employees from seeking help. Employers should make clear that inappropriate comments about menopause may potentially become an equality or harassment issue depending on the circumstances. Confidentiality should consequently form part of both the written menopause workplace policy and manager training.
Review Health and Safety Risks
Menopause support is also relevant to employers’ health and safety responsibilities. Employers must assess workplace risks and take appropriate steps to protect workers’ health, safety and welfare. Acas recommends that employers consider menopause when conducting workplace risk assessments so working conditions do not worsen symptoms.
READ: Menopause Education– Ways HR Can Support and Create Awareness
Relevant factors may include workplace temperature and ventilation, uniforms, access to toilets, drinking water, rest facilities and working arrangements. The assessment should reflect the actual working environment. An office employee may face very different challenges from someone working outdoors, wearing protective equipment or completing physically demanding shifts. Employers should also review risk assessments periodically rather than assuming that an initial assessment will remain suitable indefinitely.
Understand the Equality Act Risks
Menopause itself isn’t a separate protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010. However, employers can still face discrimination claims where treatment connected with menopause relates to an existing protected characteristic. Depending on the circumstances, this can include sex, age and disability discrimination.
Menopause symptoms may amount to a disability where they satisfy the statutory definition. Where an employee is disabled, the employer may consequently have a duty to make reasonable adjustments to remove or reduce substantial disadvantages they experience at work. Employers should therefore be cautious about dismissing requests for workplace adjustments for menopause simply because their policy describes particular measures as discretionary.
Problems can also arise through absence and performance management. An employee experiencing concentration difficulties, fatigue or sickness absence because of severe symptoms should not automatically be treated as though they are simply performing poorly or failing to meet attendance expectations.
Acas recommends handling menopause-related absence sensitively and suggests recording it separately from other sickness absence because including it indiscriminately within an employee’s overall attendance record could potentially result in unfair or discriminatory treatment.
Harassment presents another risk. Unwanted jokes, comments or remarks concerning an employee’s menopause symptoms could potentially amount to harassment or sexual harassment depending on the circumstances.
Prepare for Menopause Action Plans
Larger employers should also consider their menopause workplace policy in the context of forthcoming menopause action plans. Changes introduced under the Employment Rights Act 2025 allow employers to voluntarily publish action plans addressing menopause and gender pay gaps. From 2027, though, publishing an action plan is expected to become mandatory for employers with 250 or more workers.
Monitor Whether Support Actually Works
Introducing a menopause workplace policy shouldn’t be the end of the process. Employers should consider how they will determine whether employees understand the policy, whether managers are using it effectively and whether workplace adjustments for menopause are delivering the intended support.
READ: Equal Pay Claims: Lessons for Employers from the Galloway Coachlines Sex Discrimination Tribunal
Confidential employee surveys, absence trends, feedback from staff networks and discussions with wellbeing or menopause champions may provide useful information. Employers should be careful when collecting and handling health-related information, but appropriate monitoring can help identify gaps between written policies and employees’ actual experiences.
Creating a More Effective Approach to Menopause in the Workplace
The introduction of BS ISO 45010 gives employers an opportunity to reassess how they support menopause in the workplace. Although the standard itself doesn’t create new statutory employment rights, it provides a practical international framework covering policies, workplace culture, and more. Employers should use this opportunity to review their menopause workplace policy alongside their equality, absence, flexible working, wellbeing and health and safety procedures.
The legal position also makes a proactive approach increasingly important. Equality Act protections may apply where menopause symptoms intersect with sex, age or disability; health and safety obligations remain relevant; and larger employers will face new requirements concerning menopause action plans from 2027.
An effective menopause workplace policy should therefore do more than demonstrate awareness. It should give employees a clear route to support, equip managers to respond appropriately, and ensure individual workplace adjustments for menopause are considered fairly and consistently.
Employers that put these measures into practice can reduce legal risk while creating an environment in which employees experiencing menopause are better able to remain healthy, productive and supported at work.
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