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I’m well positioned to write about the menopause – I’m in it. For the first time in history, menopause action plans may become mandatory, but will a piece of regulatory paper actually support women in the ways that they need?
The arrival of Menopause Awareness Month this October is a double-edged sword. While it's vital for highlighting what women endure, it's also ironically fitting - if only the reality of menopause were as brief as a single month.
Think of it as a three-act play with a decade-long run.
Perimenopause is the chaotic first act. It's the drawn-out opening scene where your hormones take the stage for a dramatic, unpredictable performance.
The official menopause is just a single line in the script - the day the curtain finally falls on your last period. But calling that the "finale" is a lie.
If menopause action plans become mandatory, as proposed in the Employment Rights Bill , employers will need to rethink how they train and equip their managers
Because then comes post-menopause, the final act that lasts the rest of your life. This isn't a peaceful retirement. It's often where the more silent, gruesome effects of low oestrogen truly settle in for the long run. Let's be real about it, we're not talking about a brief intermission. This is a decade-long show, minimum, and the entire production deserves a standing ovation for the sheer endurance it requires.
So, with this in mind can the Government really sort all that women have to go through with an ‘action plan’? I asked the experts.
Fewer than half of employers have a menopause policy
Research from Brightmine highlights that while awareness of menopause in the workplace is growing, many employers are still falling short when it come to meaningful change, with just 45% of organisations having a menopause policy in place.
The UK Employment Rights Bill is proposing mandatory menopause-friendly action plans for workforces with over 250 staff. As it stands an action plan must include details of the support an organisation will provide to employees experiencing the menopause. It is hoped that this will help to address the impact of the menopause on gender equality more generally.
The House of Lords vote is scheduled for October 28th, 2025. If accepted, it will go for Royal Assent, with voluntary action plans from spring 2026, becoming mandatory from spring 2027.
When employers take structured, measurable action to support menopause in the workplace, it sends a clear message that women’s health matters
Brightmine notes that aside from the limited number of organisations that have a policy in place, just 3% of employers make theirs publicly available, and 35% of HR professionals believe their organisation is not doing enough. Only 6% feel their organisation is adequately supporting women during menopause. The numbers are low, that’s clear to see.
