Action Plans: How to meet the menopause requirements
Very soon, large employers in the UK will need to report on will need to report on how they support employees experiencing menopause in the workplace. As part of the Employment Rights Act, the government has introduced Action Plans, which employers with 250 or more employees will need to publish alongside their gender pay gap figures.
The Action Plans will cover the steps organizations are taking to both close the gender pay gap, and support employees experiencing menopause. Employers will have to demonstrate progress against at least one menopause‑related action, alongside at least one action to reduce their pay gap.
Participation is voluntary from April 2026, but reporting becomes mandatory from Spring 2027, subject to secondary legislation, through the gender pay gap service. Taking action now will help organizations build a clear, evidence-based approach, strengthen credibility, and create a more supportive and inclusive environment that improves wellbeing and retention.
To support the menopause‑related requirements, BS 30416 Menstruation, menstrual health and menopause in the workplace provides actionable guidance that can be applied immediately. Since launching in 2023, more than 12,000 organizations across 143 countries and territories have downloaded the free standard, and an international version will follow later this year.
Below, we outline the six provided steps and offer practical actions you can take, mapped directly to BS 30416.
Action one: Train line managers to support employees experiencing menopause
What the government expects:
Employers should ensure managers have the skills and knowledge to support employees going through menopause, including understanding symptoms and knowing how to have supportive conversations.
Practical things you can do:
- Line managers are often the first point of contact and should be equipped to act with respect, confidence and compassion. BS 30416 recommends that training includes (E.3.4 Training considerations for line managers):
- Strategies for proactively reviewing work design
- How to find supporting resources and refer employees for specialist help
- How to have positive and culturally sensitive conversations
- What workplace factors exacerbate symptoms of peri/menopause and how these can be managed.
- Ensure training reflects the diversity of experiences. Review and amend any gaps in training to cover cultural/ethnic peri/menopausal health differences, and feature learning from lived experience. (Section E.3 Training plans, E.3.1 General)
Action two: Offer occupational health advice for employees experiencing menopause
What the government expects:
Employers should ensure employees going through menopause can access appropriate occupational health advice to help them understand their symptoms and supports their ability to work.
Practical things you can do:
- Provide evidence‑based resources or education on self‑help and practical actions (e.g. diet, supplements, exercise, heat packs, medication). Include signposting to external sources or employee networks (Section 5.4 Supportive workplace cultures).
- Create a wellbeing page or hub that helps employees understand available resources and support (Section 5.8 Considerations for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)).
Action three: Set up menopause support groups and networks
What the government expects:
Employers should offer peer support opportunities that provide employees with the opportunity to share experiences and access information and guidance in a supportive environment.
Practical things you can do:
- Set up informal support groups and plan wellbeing activities. Ideas include (Section E.1 Activities to facilitate culture change):
- Sessions which cover the intersectionality of lived experience, such as the peri/menopausal experiences of LGBTQIA+ people, disabled people, people from minority ethnic backgrounds and neurodivergent people
- Events for employees who are indirectly impacted, e.g. male-focused webinar to encourage allyship
- Including peri/menopause in awareness activities, such as World Menopause Day (18th October)
- When arranging workshops or external support, ensure speakers reflect the diversity and intersectionality of your workforce (Section E.1 Activities to facilitate culture change).
- Appoint menopause advocates with suitable training, oversight and resources to help drive work and activities forward (Section 5.4 Supportive workplace cultures)
Action four: Offer workplace adjustments to employees experiencing menopause
What the government expects:
Employers should provide workplace adjustments that support the wellbeing and ability to work of employees.
Practical things you can do:
- Consult employees on their preferences. Avoid assuming that adjustments like homeworking, extended leave or full days off are needed or wanted for everyone (Section 5.5 Work design).
- Offer flexible breaks, such as splitting lunch or combining breaks. Unplanned breaks may also be important for certain symptoms, such as flooding/heavy bleeding (Section 5.5 Work design).
- For roles requiring uniforms, provide breathable natural fabrics, comfortable fits and a range of sizes. Offer additional items or adjustable options to accommodate fluctuating needs (Section 5.2 Physical aspects of work).
- Implement regular confidential check‑ins so employees can raise any concerns about managing symptoms (Section 5.4 Supportive workplace cultures).
Action five: Conduct a menopause risk assessment for your workplace
What the government expects:
Employers should carry out a menopause‑specific risk assessment to identify workplace factors that could worsen symptoms and to ensure appropriate adjustments are put in place.
Practical things you can do:
- Consider the following areas as part of your risk assessment (Section B.4 Workplace risk assessments):
- Demand – workload, working pattern and suitability of the environment
- Control – how much autonomy employees
- Support – availability of resources, awareness and training
- Relationships – whether employees can discuss menopausal health without stigma
- Role – whether role design or expectations may exacerbate symptoms
- Change - how organizational change is managed and its impact on symptoms
- Menopause risk assessments should be completed within the context of other health and safety risks. Specialist assessments may be needed (e.g. changes to PPE) if an employee’s particular situation requires it (Section B.4 Workplace risk assessments).
Action six: Review policies and procedures to reflect the needs of employees going through menopause
What the government expects:
Employers should ensure their policies and procedures reflect the needs of employees going through menopause by actively reviewing how current policies align with and support those needs.
Practical things you can do:
- Integrate peri/menopause into existing policies like diversity and inclusion, performance management, sickness and absence, flexible working, and review all relevant policies for consistency. (Section 5.3 Policy guidance and practice)
- Where hot‑desking is used, provide desk plans showing factors like sun exposure, physical proximity to washrooms, quiet rooms, and where to find warmer or cooler parts of the building. (Section 5.2 Physical aspects of work)
- Avoid gendered or potentially derogatory language such as “women’s problems” or “women’s issues”. Use non-gendered language to avoid undermining employees or causing indirect discrimination. (Section 5.6 Inclusivity in menstrual health and peri/menopause at work)
- Analyse exit interview outcomes to identify workplace issues linked to social or health impacts (Section 5.9 Evaluation and metrics)
Next steps for businesses
- Download BS 30416 to use as the foundation for your approach.
- Complete a gap analysis to identify what is in place and what needs updating. (Table C.1 provides a ready-made assessment tool)
- Choose your action based on where you can make the most progress.
- Assign responsibilities and timelines to provide structure and accountability.
- Engage employees to understand what support would be most valuable.
- Document your approach to support consistent implementation and future reporting.
Putting it into practice
Responding to Action Plans doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Many organizations already have the foundations in place, they simply need to formalize, document and communicate them. BS 30416 offers a clear, practical framework to help you meet the menopause-related requirements in a structured and best practice way.
As the global ISO version launches later this year, the guidance will only become more widely recognized and internationally aligned. Taking action now helps you stay ahead, support your workforce, and approach the 2027 reporting requirement with confidence.
Download BS 30416 to get started and adopt these actions in your organization.
