Menopause at Work: How Small Employers Lose Their Best People

Menopause at work: keep your best people and cut risk

Picture this. It is 18 October, World Menopause Day. You want to do the right thing on menopause at work, without turning it into a box-ticking exercise. Good. Because the goal is simple: keep brilliant people and treat them fairly.

Somewhere in your team is a woman in her late forties or fifties who holds your business together. She trains new starters. She knows the customers. She is hard to replace. Menopause at work is often the point where she starts to struggle, says nothing, then slips away. You lose experience you cannot buy back.

Why menopause at work is a retention issue

Let’s be clear about the risk and the opportunity.

• One in ten women who have experienced menopause symptoms have left a job because of them. Source: Fawcett Society, 2022.
• CIPD reports that many midlife women say symptoms affect their work, and better support helps them stay and perform. Source: CIPD, 2023.

These are not people who “cannot do the job”. They are often your most capable hands. Symptoms can last years. They are more than hot flushes. Think broken sleep, brain fog, anxiety, joint pain, heavy or unpredictable periods, and a sudden dip in confidence.

Now picture a strong performer who starts doubting herself. No drama. No honest resignation letter. She just goes quiet, then goes. Recruitment costs rise. Knowledge drops. Morale wobbles. Set that against the cost of keeping her: small adjustments, a sensible conversation, and basic training for managers. The maths is obvious.

The legal lowdown on menopause at work

Right, the law in plain English.

• Menopause itself is not a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010.
• But symptoms can be serious and long lasting. If they meet the definition of disability, you must make reasonable adjustments. Treating someone badly because of symptoms can amount to sex or age discrimination.

As the Equality and Human Rights Commission confirms: “Menopause symptoms may be a disability and require reasonable adjustments.” Source: EHRC guidance, 2024.

ACAS also advises employers to handle menopause at work like any other health issue: talk early, agree adjustments, and review them. Source: ACAS guidance, 2024.

The pattern in tribunals is familiar. Employers get into trouble after dismissing symptoms, making jokes, or refusing small, sensible changes. Do the human thing well and compliance follows.

What good support looks like day to day

You do not need a huge programme. Menopause at work support is mostly simple, practical, and low cost.

Make it sayable

Silence is the biggest barrier. Say, out loud, that menopause at work is normal and people can talk about it. A short policy helps, but permission helps more.

Train your managers

No one needs to be a medical expert. They do need to avoid jokes, panic, and judgement. The golden line is: “Thanks for telling me. What would help?” Keep notes, agree a plan, review it.

• Tip: Track one to ones and adjustments in your HR system. If you want a simple tool, we set up and manage Breathe HR for clients so nothing slips.

Offer small adjustments

Menopause at work improves fast with small changes. Examples below.

Join it up with wellbeing

Menopause at work should sit within your wider wellbeing approach. That means fair sickness processes, sensible flexibility, and realistic workloads. A business that is kind about menopause tends to be kind full stop.

Keep menopause at work on the agenda all year

Most issues blow up because there is no safe, routine moment to speak. Regular one to ones fix that. Ask how people are, and mean it. A consistent check-in rhythm makes it easier to flag menopause at work early, long before someone feels like leaving.

If your appraisal and check-in process is patchy, use a simple system and stick to it. If you want help building that rhythm, our HR Business Partner plan includes manager coaching and review cadence.

October is also Black History Month. Different topics, same lesson. People who feel overlooked often carry the most. Make space for honest conversations, then act on what you hear. Retention is noticing early and doing something practical.

Quick to do list for SMEs

• Say publicly that you support menopause at work.
• Give managers one clear line: respond with calm and kindness, then ask what would help.
• Say yes to small, low-cost adjustments quickly.
• Make one to ones regular and useful, not a tick-box.
• Treat keeping an experienced person as the win it is.

Useful resources on menopause at work

• ACAS guidance: Menopause at work
• EHRC guidance: Menopause in the workplace
• CIPD research: Menopause at work

How KUHR can help

Want a senior pair of hands to build a culture that keeps experienced people, without hiring a full-time HR team? Our Fractional HR Director service is built for that.

Need the basics in place before January? Ready for 2027 gets your contracts, handbook, policies, and manager training sorted with a year of support. Cut-off to buy is 31 October so we can deliver before the new rules kick in.

Starting point: book a free HR Health Check to see where you stand, then pick the right plan such as HR Protect for smaller teams.

You can also see where Kate has been talking about menopause at work in the media on our press page.

As always, take care of your people and they will take care of your business. Kettle on, Standards up. Until next time, keep buzzing and take care of your people!

FAQs on menopause at work

• What is menopause at work in HR terms? Menopause at work covers how employers support staff with perimenopause and menopause symptoms so they can stay well and perform. It includes conversations, adjustments, and fair processes.

• Is menopause a disability under the Equality Act? Menopause itself is not listed. But symptoms can meet the legal test for disability if they are long term and have a substantial effect on day-to-day activities. In that case you must consider reasonable adjustments.

• Do we need a menopause policy? A short, plain-English policy helps. It should set expectations, list example adjustments, and guide managers on conversations and confidentiality. The real win is making it safe to talk.

• What reasonable adjustments work best? Small changes like flexible start times, desk fans, breathable uniforms, extra short breaks, easy water access, and quiet spaces often help. Agree and review what works for the individual.

• How should managers handle sickness absence linked to menopause? Keep it fair and supportive. Record absences, look for patterns, and discuss adjustments that reduce absence. Avoid punishing someone for symptoms they are managing in good faith.

• How do we train managers on menopause at work? Give a short briefing, practical examples, and a simple script for first conversations. Role-play helps. Reinforce confidentiality and follow-up.

Quote sources: ACAS (2024), EHRC (2024). Statistics: Fawcett Society (2022), CIPD (2023). For 2024–2025 updates, check CIPD’s latest survey and ONS workforce data.