Employers 'need to be proactive in understanding menopause'

International law firm RPC warns upward trend of employment tribunal cases where companies were found at fault over issue

Commenting on today's first ever NHS guidance on menopause in the workplace, employment partner Kelly Thomson, said:

"Historically, the menopause has been under researched, often misunderstood and almost never discussed at work. This is despite the fact that a significant proportion of most workforces will go through the menopause, are going through it or have already gone through it. So it's perhaps not that surprising that so many people leave their jobs because of menopause symptoms.

"Employers, business leaders and managers need to be proactive in understanding the realities of the menopause and providing appropriate support. There's no one size fits all for what that support should look like and empathetic, flexible leadership is key. 

"Happily, the silence and stigma around discussing menopause is changing, awareness levels are rising and many employers are already committed to making a positive difference.

"Conversely, for employers that ignore this topic there are various legal risks. Research by the Menopause Experts Group found a near doubling between 2020 and 2021 of employment tribunal cases where menopause was cited and we expect this upward trend to continue, not to mention the broader risks of the avoidable, but seemingly inevitable, loss of talent in a particularly challenging recruitment market."