'Half the workforce' why HR can't afford to get menopause support wrong

World Menopause Day, arrives at a turning point for workplace menopause support. Under the Employment Rights Act 2025, employers with 250 or more staff will have to publish a menopause action plan alongside their gender pay gap figures.

Debra Clark

Head of Wellbeing, Everywhen

Yet many organisations have not noticed. “In our conversations with clients, we have been surprised to observe just how many employers are completely unaware of the Menopause Action Plans that are part of the UK’s Employment Rights Act 2025,” says Debra Clark, Head of Wellbeing at Everywhen. “World Menopause Day is the perfect opportunity to highlight this obligation, along with the timings and requirements.”

What employers must do, and when

Since April 2026, employers with 250 or more staff have been encouraged to publish voluntary action plans alongside their gender pay gap reports. Subject to secondary legislation, the plans become mandatory from April 2027, with the first mandatory plans due by April 2028. Once mandatory, they must be reviewed and updated every year. The rules apply in England, Scotland and Wales.