Trained Menopause Champions in the Workplace Matters

For many years, menopause was treated as something private. Something women were expected to manage quietly while continuing to work, lead teams, meet deadlines, care for families and maintain their careers as though nothing had changed.

That conversation is changing rapidly.

Menopause is increasingly being recognised by governments, regulators and employers as a workplace issue, and the legal and policy landscape surrounding menopause at work is evolving too.

For organisations, the question is no longer simply, “Do we need a menopause policy?”

A much better question is:

“Do the people within our organisation actually understand menopause and know how to support someone experiencing it?”

That is where trained Menopause Champions can make a genuine difference.

The UK is moving towards greater employer accountability

There has already been a significant change in the UK.

The Employment Rights Act 2025 introduced provisions allowing regulations to require larger employers to publish Equality Action Plans covering both the gender pay gap and the steps they are taking to support employees going through menopause.

During 2026, employers with 250 or more employees can voluntarily publish these action plans. The Government's current intention is for them to become mandatory from spring 2027, subject to secondary legislation.

This is significant. Menopause has moved beyond being simply part of an optional wellbeing conversation and is becoming something larger employers may be expected to demonstrate they are actively addressing.

The Government's recommended actions are practical too. They include training managers to support employees experiencing menopause, creating support groups or networks, considering workplace adjustments, carrying out menopause risk assessments and reviewing policies and procedures.

A trained Menopause Champion can help turn those intentions into something employees can actually experience within their workplace.

Menopause already sits within existing legal responsibilities

It is also important to understand that employers should not assume they have no responsibilities until new menopause-specific requirements arrive.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission makes clear that menopause and perimenopause symptoms can already interact with protections under the Equality Act 2010, particularly those relating to sex, age and disability.

Where symptoms have a substantial and long-term impact on a person's ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities, they may meet the legal definition of disability, potentially creating a duty to consider reasonable adjustments. Employers also have existing health and safety responsibilities.

This makes education important. A manager who does not understand menopause may interpret disrupted sleep as poor performance, brain fog as a lack of competence, anxiety as inability to cope, or requests for temperature control or flexibility as someone being difficult.

A trained person understands that there may be another conversation that needs to happen first.

And this is not simply a UK conversation

The shift is happening internationally.

In Australia, a Senate inquiry into menopause and perimenopause specifically encouraged workplaces to develop menopause and perimenopause policies. The Australian Government subsequently supported or supported in principle 16 of the inquiry's 25 recommendations.

The Australian Government has also issued workplace guidance encouraging organisations to include menopause education within wellbeing initiatives and manager training, make appropriate workplace adjustments and create environments in which employees can discuss menopause safely if they choose to.

Ireland has introduced a Menopause in the Workplace Policy Framework across its Civil Service, committing Civil Service employers to recognise the impact menopause can have and actively support employees.

Across the European Union, menopause is not currently a standalone protected characteristic, but existing protections relating to sex discrimination, equal treatment and workplace health and safety may be relevant depending upon the circumstances. The European Commission has itself recognised menopause in the workplace as an emerging issue affecting women's participation, wellbeing and potentially discrimination.

The precise legislation differs from country to country, but the direction of travel is increasingly difficult to ignore.

Women's health is becoming a workplace issue, a retention issue, an equality issue and, increasingly, a governance issue.

Why a policy on its own is not enough

An organisation can download a menopause policy, place it on an intranet and technically say it has addressed menopause.

But does anybody know it exists?

Would an employee feel comfortable approaching their manager?

Would that manager know what to say?

Would they understand the difference between perimenopause and menopause?

Would they know that menopause can involve cognitive, emotional, psychological, musculoskeletal, sleep, cardiovascular, genitourinary and other symptoms, rather than simply hot flushes?

Would they know when to listen, when to consider an adjustment and when to signpost somebody towards appropriate professional support?

That is the difference between having a policy and creating a culture.

What does a trained Menopause Champion do?

A workplace Menopause Champion should not be expected to diagnose employees or provide medical treatment.

Their value is very different.

They can become an informed and approachable point of contact within the organisation. They can help raise awareness, challenge outdated misconceptions, signpost employees towards reliable resources and appropriate professional support, encourage conversations and help management understand where practical workplace changes may be appropriate.

Perhaps most importantly, they help make menopause normal to talk about.

This can be particularly valuable because menopause is intensely individual. Two women of exactly the same age may have completely different experiences.

Support therefore needs understanding and flexibility rather than a rigid checklist.

There is a strong business case too

This is not only about legislation, It is about retaining experience.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission cites research in which 67% of working women aged 40 to 60 who had experienced menopausal symptoms said those symptoms had a mostly negative impact on them at work. Among those negatively affected, concentration, stress and physical ability to perform work were commonly affected. The Commission also references research suggesting that around one in ten women surveyed who were employed during menopause had left work because of their symptoms.

Think about what that means for an organisation.

Women experiencing menopause are often at a point in their careers where they have accumulated years, sometimes decades, of professional knowledge, relationships, leadership skills and organisational experience.

Losing that talent unnecessarily makes very little commercial sense.

Small adjustments, informed management and a culture in which somebody feels able to say “I'm struggling at the moment” may help prevent absence, disengagement or an experienced employee deciding that leaving work is their only option.

Menopause Champions help bridge the gap

HR cannot be everywhere. Neither can Occupational Health. And employees do not necessarily want their first menopause conversation to feel formal or clinical.

Having trained Menopause Champions throughout an organisation creates another layer of informed support. They can help connect the employee, the workplace and the organisation's existing resources.

They can also help keep menopause visible throughout the year rather than restricting the conversation to Menopause Awareness Month or World Menopause Day.

Education creates understanding. Understanding reduces stigma. And reducing stigma makes it easier for people to ask for help before they reach crisis point.

Don't wait for legislation to tell you to care

The changing legal landscape should certainly encourage organisations to take menopause more seriously. But compliance should never be the only reason to act.

A progressive organisation should want people to be able to remain healthy, productive, valued and confident throughout every stage of their working lives.

Training Menopause Champions sends an important message:

We recognise menopause.
We understand that it can affect working life.
We are prepared to talk about it.
And we want our people to feel supported rather than silently struggling.

The organisations doing this well now will already have knowledge, policies, internal resources and trained people in place as workplace expectations continue to evolve.

For those that do nothing, legislation may eventually force the conversation.

For everyone else, there is an opportunity to lead it.

If you would like to learn more about becoming a trained Menopause Champion, or about adding menopause education, training and resources into your organisation, we would be delighted to talk to you.

Your organisation can become known for being Menopause Approved for a very small fee.

Please reach out to us at community@menopausechampions.com.