What Workplace Adjustments Can You Ask for During Menopause?
Most women going through menopause at work are doing something quietly exhausting.
They're compensating. Arriving earlier to get things done before the brain fog sets in. Choosing seats strategically in meetings - near a door, away from the radiator. Timing bathroom trips around hot flushes. Redoing work at home in the evenings that they couldn't concentrate on properly during the day.
All of that is invisible to their employer. And because it's invisible, nothing changes.
Here's what many women don't know: you don't have to earn the right to adjustments by suffering visibly enough. You don't need a formal diagnosis. You don’t need permission to struggle before you ask for support. You don't need a doctor's note. And you don't need to have reached breaking point before you're allowed to ask.
UK law gives you the standing to request changes to how, where and when you work - right now, as you are. This blog explains what those adjustments are, what the legal basis for them is and how to approach asking for them in a way that actually works.
If you're looking for a broader overview of managing menopause at work, the complete guide to menopause at work brings together practical strategies, workplace support and guidance to help you navigate the wider picture.
If you're particularly concerned about maintaining your confidence, managing symptoms during the working day and protecting your career, read Menopause at Work: How to Navigate Your Career with Confidence.
And if you're preparing to ask for adjustments but aren't sure how to raise the subject professionally, How to Talk to Your Manager About Menopause will help you prepare for that conversation.
Why so few women ask - and why that needs to change
Research by the Equality and Human Rights Commission found that only 12% of women sought any workplace adjustments despite experiencing significant menopause-related difficulties at work. Of those who didn't ask, over a quarter said it was because they were worried about the reaction.
That hesitation is rational. But it comes at a real cost. The same research found that one in ten women who worked during menopause left their jobs entirely because of unmanaged symptoms. Not because the symptoms were unmanageable - because the support wasn't there.
I spent years as a senior manager before retraining as a health and nutrition coach. I know both sides of this conversation. I've sat in the chair where you're weighing up whether it's worth raising something, and I've been the manager on the other side of it. What I can tell you from both positions is this: the conversation is almost always better than the silence. And the adjustments, when made, cost employers very little while making an enormous practical difference.
You are allowed to ask for support before things get worse.
Start with a practical plan
You don't have to work out every adjustment or prepare every conversation on your own.
Download the free Menopause at Work Survival Guide for practical workplace strategies, an adjustments checklist and guidance to help you prepare to ask for the support you need.
The legal foundation: what employers are already required to do
Menopause isn't a standalone protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010, but where symptoms substantially affect daily activities, they may meet the threshold for a disability, creating a duty on your employer to make reasonable adjustments.
Separately, your employer has an existing duty of care under health and safety law. You don't need to cite any of this when making a request - most managers respond to clear, practical asks, not legal language. (For the full legal picture: Your Legal Rights at Work During Menopause)
Employment Rights Are Changing
The Employment Rights Bill is expected to introduce changes affecting workplace protections from 2027 onwards. As guidance develops, employers will be expected to take workplace health and wellbeing increasingly seriously. This article will be updated as official guidance becomes available.
The adjustments you can request: a practical guide
ACAS recommends that employers consider reasonable workplace adjustments where menopause symptoms are affecting someone's ability to do their job. The following adjustments are all recognised by ACAS, the Equality and Human Rights Commission or established workplace menopause guidance. Each is mapped to the symptom it addresses and framed for how to raise it.
If you're wondering where to start, don't ask for everything at once. Think about which one or two changes would make the biggest difference to your working day, and begin there.
Temperature and environment
What you can ask for:
A desk fan or access to a personal fan for your workspace
A workstation near a window, door, or air conditioning unit - or away from heat sources such as radiators or equipment
Access to cold drinking water throughout the working day
Adjusted dress code requirements where a formal uniform is making symptoms worse
Access to a private space or quiet room where you can take a few minutes if a hot flush or wave of anxiety is severe
How to frame it:"I'm experiencing temperature dysregulation as part of a health transition. A desk fan and the option to sit near a window would help me manage this without affecting my work."
Hot flushes are one of the most disruptive symptoms in a professional setting - not just physically, but because of the anxiety they can create in visible or high-stakes situations. Reducing the environmental triggers within your employer's control is a straightforward, low-cost adjustment that ACAS specifically cites in its menopause guidance.
Flexible working hours
What you can ask for:
A later or earlier start time on some or all working days
A compressed working week (same hours, fewer days)
Adjusted working patterns during periods when symptoms are more intense
How to frame it: "Sleep disruption is affecting my concentration and energy in the mornings. The option to start at [time] on [number] days a week, making up the hours later in the day, would allow me to maintain the quality of my work."
Flexible working isn't a perk - it's one of the most effective operational adjustments for managing fatigue and cognitive symptoms. Since 6 April 2024, employees have had the right to request flexible working from the first day of employment. Employers must handle requests reasonably, consult you, and respond within two months unless you agree an extension. They can refuse a request, but only for a recognised business reason and after following the required process.
Working from home
What you can ask for:
The option to work from home on particularly difficult days, without having to formally book it or justify it each time
A hybrid arrangement that reduces the number of days spent in a shared, open-plan, or temperature-uncontrolled environment
How to frame it: "There are days when symptoms are more intense and the commute and office environment make them significantly worse. The option to work from home on those days - without needing to book it in advance - would help me stay productive on days that would otherwise result in sick leave."
This framing works because it's employer-facing. You're not asking for a convenience; you're offering to maintain your output in exchange for an accommodation that costs your employer nothing.
Meeting and calendar adjustments
What you can ask for:
Breaks between meetings - fifteen to thirty minutes of buffer to recover concentration and composure before the next one
No back-to-back meetings scheduled for an entire morning or afternoon without a break
Advance sight of meeting agendas, particularly for high-stakes conversations, to reduce cognitive load and anxiety in the moment
The option to join meetings remotely rather than in person on some occasions
How to frame it:"I'm finding sustained concentration across back-to-back meetings more challenging than usual. Building in a break between morning meetings would improve the quality of my contribution significantly."
Brain fog and attention variability during the menopause transition are well-documented - they are not character flaws or declining capability. They are physiological, and they respond to environmental management. Calendar structure is one of the most underused adjustments, and it costs nothing. For more on the cognitive aspects, the Is It Menopause or Burnout? article covers this in detail.
Absence and leave recording
What you can ask for:
Menopause-related absence to be recorded separately from general sick leave, so that it does not count toward absence trigger points or affect your absence record
Time off for medical appointments relating to menopause to be treated as medical leave rather than general sickness absence
Informal flexibility around late starts or early finishes on days when symptoms make the commute or a full day genuinely difficult
How to frame it:"I'd like to formally request that any absence related to menopause symptoms is recorded separately from general sick leave. I want to be transparent about what's happening without it creating an absence record that doesn't accurately reflect my overall attendance and reliability."
ACAS specifically cites separate absence recording as an example of a reasonable adjustment. This matters practically: If menopause symptoms meet the Equality Act definition of disability, automatically including related absence in a trigger system could be unfair or discriminatory. ACAS advises employers to record menopause-related absence separately and consider whether absence triggers need adjusting.
Occupational health referral
What you can ask for:
A referral to occupational health for an independent assessment of your workplace needs
Written recommendations from occupational health, which carry weight with HR and line managers and can formalise adjustments that might otherwise remain informal
How to frame it:"I'd like to be referred to occupational health for an assessment. I think an independent view on the adjustments that would be most helpful would be useful for both of us."
An occupational health report doesn't diagnose. It assesses how your current health situation is affecting your work, and what changes could reasonably be made. It can be particularly useful if your direct manager is resistant, or if you want adjustments formally documented rather than reliant on an informal verbal agreement.
Uniform and dress code
What you can ask for:
Exemption from, or modification to, a formal uniform requirement where it is worsening temperature regulation or physical discomfort
The option to wear natural, breathable fabrics rather than synthetic ones where a dress code applies
Adjustments to footwear requirements where joint pain or swelling is a symptom
How to frame it:"I'm finding the current uniform requirements significantly worsen my temperature dysregulation. I'd like to discuss what flexibility exists within the dress code while I'm managing this health transition."
Most of these adjustments are:
low cost
easy to implement
directly linked to performance
Which is why they’re increasingly recognised as standard practice, not special treatment.
Looking beyond the workplace?
Workplace adjustments can make your working day more manageable, but you may also be dealing with changes to your sleep, energy, mood, concentration or everyday routines.
If you want to understand and support your health more broadly, Menopause Essentials offers a next step beyond the immediate challenges you're facing at work.
Your next step: get the support you need
You don't have to wait until menopause symptoms are affecting your confidence, performance or wellbeing even more before taking action.
Start with one or two practical changes that could make your working day easier. Be specific about what you're experiencing, explain how it affects your work and consider which adjustment would make the biggest difference.
Start with practical workplace support
Download the free Menopause at Work Survival Guide for an adjustments checklist, practical strategies and guidance to help you prepare for conversations with your employer.
Support your health beyond work
If you're also looking for help understanding the wider impact of menopause on your health and everyday life, explore Menopause Essentials.
Want personalised support?
If you'd like help making sense of your symptoms, identifying your priorities and deciding what practical changes may help, explore one-to-one menopause coaching.
You can also book a free Menopause Clarity Call to discuss your situation and explore whether coaching is right for you.
For employers and HR teams
Supporting employees requires more than awareness. Managers need the confidence and practical skills to respond appropriately when someone asks for help.
Explore Menopause Workplace Support to learn about support for organisations looking to strengthen their approach to menopause at work.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a doctor's note to ask for menopause adjustments at work?
No. You can request adjustments based on your own account of your symptoms - a formal diagnosis or medical evidence isn't a prerequisite, though occupational health input can help formalise things if needed.
Can my employer refuse to make menopause adjustments?
They can refuse a specific request if there's a legitimate business reason, but where symptoms meet the threshold for a disability under the Equality Act, or where health and safety duties are engaged, they have a legal duty to consider reasonable adjustments.
What's the difference between menopause leave and workplace adjustments?
Adjustments are ongoing changes to how, where or when you work - a fan, flexible hours, hybrid working. There's no separate statutory "menopause leave" in UK law; existing sick leave and adjustment routes apply instead.
Should menopause-related absence be recorded differently from normal sick leave?
Many organisations do record it separately, and ACAS cites this as good practice - it's worth requesting if you're concerned about absence triggers or a Bradford Factor score.x`
What you are not doing when you ask
You are not making a fuss.
You are not asking for special treatment that your colleagues don't deserve.
You are not flagging yourself as a liability or signalling that your career has peaked.
You are managing a recognised health transition in a professional context, with evidence-based requests for practical support. That is exactly what your employer's duty of care exists to facilitate - and exactly what good line management looks like in practice.
Adjustments that are made well don't just benefit the individual. They protect institutional knowledge, reduce absence, and retain experienced professionals at the stage in their careers when they're most valuable.
Start here:
→ Download the Menopause at Work Survival Guide
If you want support applying this in your workplace:
→ Book a free Menopause Clarity Call
This guide is written within the scope of health and nutrition coaching practice and is informed by current UK employment law and ACAS guidance. It does not constitute legal advice. For specific legal questions about your situation, contact ACAS (acas.org.uk) or an employment law solicitor.
References
Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (2026) Menopause at work: supporting staff through the menopause. Available at: https://www.acas.org.uk/menopause-at-work/supporting-staff-through-the-menopause .
Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (2021) Menopause and the workplace: Acas response. Available at: https://www.acas.org.uk/menopause-and-the-workplace-acas-response .
Equality and Human Rights Commission (2024) Menopause in the workplace: guidance for employers. Available at: https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/guidance/menopause-workplace-guidance-employers .
Equality Act 2010, c. 15. Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/contents .
Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, c. 37. Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1974/37
Employment Rights Act 1996, c. 18, as amended. Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1996/18/contents .
Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act 2023, c. 34. Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/34/contents .
The Flexible Working (Amendment) Regulations 2023, SI 2023/1328. Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2023/1328/made .
House of Commons Library (2024) Flexible working: employment rights. Research Briefing SN01086. Available at: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn01086/ .
Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (2023) Menopause in the workplace: employee experiences in 2023. London: CIPD. Available at: https://www.cipd.org/uk/knowledge/reports/menopause-employee-experiences/ .
Griffiths, A., MacLennan, S.J. and Hassard, J. (2013) ‘Menopause and work: an electronic survey of employees’ attitudes in the UK’, Maturitas, 76(4), pp. 391–395. doi:10.1016/j.maturitas.2013.08.001. PMID: 23973049.
UK Government (2024) Menopause in the workplace literature review. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/ .
Fawcett Society (2022) Menopause and the workplace. London: The Fawcett Society. Available at: https://www.fawcettsociety.org.uk/ .
NHS England (2022) Supporting our NHS people through menopause: guidance for line managers and colleagues. Available at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/supporting-our-nhs-people-through-menopause-guidance-for-line-managers-and-colleagues/.
NHS Employers (2026) Menopause and the workplace. Available at: https://www.nhsemployers.org/articles/menopause-and-workplace .
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical or legal advice. Phillipa Jacobs-Smith practises within the UKIHCA Scope of Practice as a Nutrition and Health Coach. Women experiencing menopause symptoms should seek guidance from their GP or a qualified healthcare professional. Employers should consult a qualified employment solicitor or HR professional for specific legal advice. All research cited is sourced from peer-reviewed publications, UK government documents, HSE guidance, and accredited professional bodies.
