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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchCompanies are addressing menopause at work through practical adjustments, manager guidance, confidential conversations and public action plans. Those measures can make support easier to request, but a published policy does not prove that employees know about it, feel safe using it or experience better outcomes. UK evidence points to a gap between the support employers describe and what workers report being aware of.
Why menopause support matters at work
The Department for Work and Pensions’ 2025 literature review found considerable evidence that menopause symptoms can affect some women’s confidence and wellbeing at work and, to a lesser extent, their ability to do their jobs. The review covered 42 publications, primarily about the UK and published between April 2016 and October 2024, with selected G7 evidence where UK research was scarce. It also found relatively few studies describing positive or negligible workplace experiences, while noting that different research methods are needed to capture those experiences.
Work conditions can shape how menopause is experienced. Uniforms, limited control over temperature or other aspects of the immediate environment, job security, financial circumstances and other health conditions may all matter; it can be difficult to separate their effects. This is one reason a single standard adjustment is unlikely to fit every person or role.
What support can look like in practice
UK government guidance recommends individualised adjustments in England, Scotland and Wales. The right option depends on what the employee says would help and what is practical for their job.
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- Working arrangements: flexible hours or working from home when practical.
- Breaks and rest: additional breaks or access to a private place to rest.
- Control over the environment: a fan, a desk near an opening window or another suitable way to manage the immediate workspace.
- Equipment: ergonomic furniture where it would help.
- Advice and wellbeing support: counselling or specialist advice, where offered by the employer.
A fan, for example, is one possible environmental adjustment named in government guidance, not a universal solution or medical treatment. Employers should ask what would help rather than assume the same item or arrangement will suit everyone.
How employers can make support easier to use
Government guidance and Acas advice point to implementation as well as the adjustment itself: employees need a private route to discuss what is happening, managers need to know how to respond, and agreed changes may need review.
- Offer a confidential way to raise the issue. A private manager conversation can help identify how menopause is affecting work and what might make a difference. Employers can also use confidential consultations or anonymous surveys to understand wider needs.
- Make the available support visible. Clearly explain what adjustments or services are available and how to request them. A policy cannot help someone who does not know it exists.
- Prepare managers and HR. Guidance recommends equipping the people who receive requests to respond promptly and appropriately.
- Record agreed changes and review them. Written agreements can clarify what has been arranged; regular reviews allow the employee and employer to check whether it is working.
Acas suggests private conversations between workers and managers and gives environmental changes, such as a desk near an opening window or a fan, as possible examples. The aim is to discuss the employee’s work situation and potential support, not to prescribe one response for everyone.
What UK employers are required or encouraged to do
As of 8 October 2026, UK Government guidance says employers with 250 or more employees can publish voluntary action plans alongside gender pay gap data. The plans cover steps to address the gender pay gap and support employees experiencing menopause, and employers are expected to select at least two actions. The guidance says plans are expected to become mandatory from spring 2027, subject to secondary legislation. The timing and legal position may change as implementation proceeds.
The adjustment guidance from the Office for Equality and Opportunity applies to England, Scotland and Wales. It recommends practical, individualised support; it is not evidence that every employer has adopted a menopause policy or that a particular adjustment produces a measured result.
Company examples: what employers say they offer
These examples illustrate different approaches, but the descriptions come from the companies themselves. They show stated provision or announced guidelines, not independently measured effects.
Standard Chartered
Standard Chartered’s workplace page says many of its offices include sanitary products, desk fans and ventilated spaces, and that its Employee Assistance Programme offers menopause counselling. The company’s description does not independently establish how widely employees use these services or what outcomes they produce.
Ingka Group
Ingka Group announced global menopause guidelines in 2023. The company said possible support could include flexible working, additional uniforms when needed and physical workplace changes such as desk fans or air-conditioned areas. These are announced guidelines and examples, not proof that every location provides every measure or that the guidelines have produced particular results.
How to judge whether a commitment is meaningful
The DWP review describes employer support as disparate and uneven, with evidence drawn from small case studies. It also reports that employees may not know about policies even when they exist, or may not engage with them. In the Beck et al. online survey reported by the review, 5,399 respondents were asked about workplace support; 19% said they were aware of it. The review cautions that the survey cannot necessarily be treated as representative. That figure is about respondents’ awareness, not the percentage of employers with policies.
In that same survey, awareness varied by sector: 43% in Public Administration and Defence, 24% in Administrative and Support Service Activities, 11% in Human Health and Social Work Activities, and 8.2% in Education. These are survey findings reported by the DWP review, not sector-wide estimates of employer policy coverage.
A useful way to assess a company’s approach is to look beyond the announcement and ask:
- Can employees request support privately?
- Do workers know what is available and how to access it?
- Can the adjustment fit the person’s symptoms and the demands of the job?
- Are managers prepared to respond, and are agreements followed up?
- Does the employer check whether employees can access the support and find it useful?
The available evidence does not establish that specific menopause programmes cause higher retention, productivity or wellbeing. Employers can describe and evaluate their own initiatives, but claims about outcomes should be distinguished from the existence of a policy, benefit or training session.
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