Workplace menopause support · UK
Menopause Support for Organisations
Menopause is no longer just a wellbeing conversation.
It is a retention issue. A leadership issue. A productivity issue. And increasingly, a legal and organisational accountability issue.
Employment law specialists are increasingly discussing menopause through the lens of age, sex and disability discrimination. The organisations that respond proactively are the ones reducing legal exposure and retaining experienced women.
Awareness alone is not enough.
I provide practical, evidence-based menopause education and workplace support for organisations across the UK - helping employees feel supported, managers feel capable and leadership teams build practical strategies that actually work.
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17%
considered leaving work due to a lack of support
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67%
say symptoms negatively affect their work
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204
menopause-related employment tribunal claims reported in 2024
"Less favourable treatment due to menopause may be said to be due to age, sex or disability."
- Green, Moss & Thomas, A Practical Guide to Age Discrimination in the Workplace (3PB Barristers / Law Brief Publishing)
The Equality Action Plan guidance also confirms that menopause plans "may also support employees experiencing other health conditions related to menstrual health such as endometriosis, fibroids or polycystic ovarian syndrome" - broadening the scope of what effective workplace support needs to address.
The information on this page reflects current legislative developments and is provided for educational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Organisations should seek independent HR or legal advice when developing menopause policy or responding to specific workplace situations.
Why work with Phillipa
Authority and practical credibility
Phillipa Jacobs-Smith
Nutrition & Health Coach (IINH trained · UKIHCA accredited) · Workplace Menopause Educator
Phillipa combines evidence-based menopause education with over 15 years of senior leadership experience inside a large UK institution. Before founding The Menopause Health Coach, she led teams and student-facing services in higher education - giving her a practical understanding of workplace culture, organisational pressures, people management, and employee wellbeing in real operational environments.
Her sessions are not generic menopause awareness. They are built around what managers and organisations actually need: practical capability, psychological safety and clear frameworks for action.
Menopause awareness Management confidence
Employee support Organisational accountability
Workplace support options
Four ways organisations work with Phillipa
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Manager Masterclass
3-hr/half day manager training
Practical menopause workplace training for line managers, team leaders and senior staff - live or online delivery..
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Employee Sessions
Employee awareness sessions
Educational sessions on symptoms, confidence and workplace navigation. Online webinar, in-person, or lunch-and-learn formats.
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HR & Leadership
HR & leadership briefings
Strategic sessions focused on retention, Equality Action Plans, policy review and workplace menopause culture.
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Speaking
Conference & speaker sessions
Keynotes, panels, awareness events, IWD talks and leadership discussions. In-person or virtual.
This guide gives you the foundation. Confident, consistent support across your organisation requires the full training programme.
The legal landscape
Why menopause is a legal risk issue - not just a wellbeing one
Employment law specialists are now explicit: less favourable treatment due to menopause may engage multiple protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010.
Equality Act 2010
Age, sex & disability
Menopause can engage all three protected characteristics. Failure to support employees may constitute unlawful discrimination. .
Employment Rights Act 2025
Equality Action Plans
Larger employers will be required to develop and publish Equality Action Plans that must address menopause support. Secondary legislation is pending.
Further Reading
What the Employment Rights Act 2025 Means for Menopause at Work
If you're hearing about Gender Equality Action Plans for the first time, this article explains what the legislation means, which organisations are affected and why manager training is increasingly being discussed as part of workplace menopause strategy.
Worker Protection Act 2023
Proactive prevention duty
In force since October 2024. Employers must now take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment - signalling a legislative shift toward proactive responsibility.
The complete training suite
Two programmes. One complete organisational solution.
Programme 1 creates the environment in which Programme 2 conversations can happen.
Programme 2 creates the managers who make Programme 1 meaningful.
Programme 1
Menopause Awareness for Everyone
60 min · Online, self-paced · All employees
Creates a workforce where menopause is an unremarkable topic - where colleagues ask how someone is doing and mean it, where disclosure feels safer and where the organisational environment signals that support exists.
60-minute structure
15 min
M1: What is menopause? The honest picture
Full spectrum: perimenopause, POI, surgical, cancer-related, trans & non-binary experience
12 min
M2: How it shows up at work
The symptom-assumption gap - what colleagues see and what they misread
15 min
M3: Being a genuinely supportive colleague
Language, practical scenarios, what helps vs what closes the door
10 min
M4: Language, inclusion & knowing your limits
Inclusive language, confidentiality, signposting - for every colleague
5 min
Close: Personal pledge
Suitable for GEAP evidence trail.
Programme 2
Manager Masterclass
3 hours · In-person (primary) or online · Line managers, all genders · Includes workbook
Builds genuine management capability - not awareness. Covers the full legal landscape, all manager types, live role-play, the LISTEN™ Framework and a culture-change framework. Three hours is a half day. This is leadership development.
3-hour session structure
25 min
Block 1: The full picture
All menopause types including surgical, cancer-related, MHT/HRT adjustment; endometriosis, PMOS (formerly known as PCOS), fibroids; trans & non-binary inclusion with legal grounding
20 min
Block 2: The legal risk landscape
Equality Act 2010, ERA 2025 GEAPs, Worker Protection Act 2023, EHRC 2022, tribunal case law including Rooney v Leicester City Council
20 min
Block 3: The manager assumption audit
Male manager blind spots AND female manager blind spots - addressed equally, with honesty. The disclosure gap and what closes it.
45 min
Block 4: Having the conversation - LISTEN™ + role-play
Live demo, 4 scenario cards including post-cancer return, plus full group debrief
20 min
Block 5: Practical adjustments
Full adjustments menu; documentation guidance; when to escalate to OH or HR
20 min
Block 6: Culture shift framework
Compliance culture vs inclusive culture; practical visible steps; personal action plan
What makes this different from other menopause training
This is the only UK manager training programme that addresses surgical and cancer-related menopause, both male and female manager blind spots with equal honesty, trans and non-binary inclusion with legal grounding (GRA 2004, Equality Act, UK GDPR), all four related hormonal conditions (endometriosis, PMOS, PMDD, fibroids), and the culture-shift from disclosure-when-brave to disclosure-by-design.
It is not a tick-box. It is capability.
The LISTEN™ Framework
Phillipa's proprietary conversation model for menopause at work
Used throughout the Manager Masterclass and included in the free Manager Guide. A structure - not a script.
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L
LEAD
Open with curiosity. Invite them to share - don't present a verdict
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I
INVITE
Create space for them to name it, if they choose. Don't name it for them.
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S
STAY NEUTRAL
Regulate your reaction. No surprise, no pity. Reflect back what they said
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T
TAKE IT SERIOUSLY
Record agreed actions - not medical detail. Tell them what happens next
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E
EXPLORE
Co-create adjustments. "What would actually help you most right now?"
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N
NEXT STEPS
Never leave without a follow-up date. Keep the conversation going.
FORMATS & OPTIONS
Compare Consultation Options
Programme
P1 - Employee Awareness
P2 - Manager Masterclass
P2 - Manager Masterclass (online)
Full Suite Bundle
HR & Leadership Briefings
Conference & Speaker Sessions
Format
Online
In Person
Online (live or recorded)
P1 online + P2 in-person
In-person or online
In-person or online
Audience
All employees
Line managers, all genders
Line managers, all genders
Whole organisation
HR, Senior leaders
Mixed
Duration
60 min
3 hrs
3 hrs
P1 + P2
Flexible
Tailored
For HR & Leadership teams
Workplace menopause support for HR & leadership
Employment Rights Act 2025 - Gender Equality Action Plans
From spring 2027, organisations with 250+ employees will be required to publish Gender Equality Action Plans. Plans must include at least one action supporting employees experiencing menopause - and government guidance explicitly extends this to related conditions including endometriosis, fibroids, and PCOS. Guidance also requires plans to address intersectional needs and workforce demographics.
Manager training is a government-recommended GEAP action. A plan that lists manager training but where managers have never been trained is a compliance liability, not an asset.
Areas of support
Gender Equality Action Plan preparation and consultation
Manager capability development (Programme 2)
All-employee awareness rollout (Programme 1)
Menopause policy review and update
Workplace adjustment frameworks
Leadership briefing sessions
Speaking and awareness events
What organisations risk without support
Increased attrition of experienced women - often the highest performers, most likely to mask
Discrimination claims engaging age, sex, and disability protections simultaneously
GEAP non-compliance once mandatory enforcement is in effect (spring 2027)
Higher sickness absence and rising presenteeism
Loss of leadership talent and institutional knowledge
Women aged 45–55 are often among the most experienced people in an organisation. Effective menopause support is retention strategy, succession planning and legal risk management - not a wellbeing add-on.
Related Reading
Why Menopause Is a Workplace Issue - Not Just a Personal One
Many organisations still view menopause as an individual wellbeing issue. In reality, unsupported menopause affects retention, performance, succession planning and organisational culture.
What good support changes - The human outcomes.
Most women do not expect perfection from employers. They want to feel believed, supported and able to continue doing their jobs well.
Experienced women stay - rather than quietly leaving or stepping back from roles they have worked years to reach
Managers feel more confident and less afraid of getting conversations wrong
Conversations happen earlier - before symptoms escalate into performance concerns or grievance processes
Performance issues are addressed with compassion rather than formal process
Workplace culture shifts gradually, sustainably and in ways employees actually notice
Organisations demonstrate proactive commitment to inclusion before legislation compels them to
Common requests
What organisations typically ask for
Organisations enquiring about menopause support for employees or managers most commonly ask about:
Manager training
Menopause awareness training specifically built for line managers and people leaders
Policy & EAP guidance
Equality Action Plan preparation and menopause policy review for HR teams
Employee sessions
Awareness sessions on menopause symptoms, work, confidence, and support options
Leadership briefings
Senior leadership and HR briefings on retention, culture and legal context
IWD & awareness events
International Women's Day talks, menopause awareness events, conference sessions
Recorded libraries
Recorded menopause training for internal learning platforms and onboarding
Workplace Menopause Support Services
Organisations typically engage Phillipa for workplace menopause support through employee awareness programmes, manager menopause training, leadership briefings, Equality Action Plan preparation and menopause policy development.
Support is available online or in person across the UK and can be delivered as a standalone session or as part of a wider organisational menopause strategy.
Practical Resources
Menopause Workplace Adjustments: What Employees Can Ask For
A practical guide covering flexible working, temperature control, workload adjustments, absence management and other workplace support options.
FAQ - Common Questions
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The Masterclass covers the full spectrum of menopause types (including surgical and cancer-related), the complete UK legal landscape (Equality Act 2010, ERA 2025, Worker Protection Act 2023, EHRC guidance, tribunal case law), male and female manager blind spots addressed with equal honesty, the LISTEN™ Framework for menopause conversations, live role-play with four scenario cards, the full practical adjustments menu, and a culture-change framework. Managers leave with a personal action plan and access to the companion workbook.
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Programme 1 covers what menopause actually is (including types most people don't know about), how symptoms appear at work and what colleagues often misread, how to be a genuinely supportive colleague without overstepping, inclusive language for every team member, and signposting. It includes a personal pledge, certificate of completion, and CPD log suitable for the GEAP evidence trail. It works on any LMS platform.
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Yes. Programme 1 is built for online self-paced delivery and is LMS compatible. The Manager Masterclass is available in-person (primary format) or live online. Recorded online delivery of the Masterclass is also available. The in-person format includes printed workbooks and live facilitation; online delivery uses digital materials and video scenarios.
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Yes. Menopause symptoms can engage the Equality Act 2010 under disability, sex, and age protected characteristics. The Employment Rights Act 2025 introduces Gender Equality Action Plan requirements for 250+ employers, explicitly including menopause support. The Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023, in force since October 2024, adds a new proactive duty on employers. Tribunal claims citing menopause rose from 64 in 2022 to 204 in 2024.
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Gender Equality Action Plans (GEAPs) are introduced under the Employment Rights Act 2025 for organisations with 250 or more employees. Plans must include at least one action supporting employees experiencing menopause. The requirement is voluntary from April 2026 and mandatory from spring 2027 (secondary legislation pending). Government guidance explicitly includes endometriosis, fibroids, and PCOS alongside menopause. Manager training is a government-recommended GEAP action.
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Programme 1 is for every employee - all genders, all ages, all roles. It is built with inclusive language throughout and is not framed as a women's programme. The Manager Masterclass is for line managers of all genders, including those who may find the topic personally distant, uncomfortable, or outside their assumed frame of reference. The assumption audit in Block 3 addresses male managers, female managers, younger managers, and older managers with equal directness.
Further reading for employees and organisations
→Menopause at work: how to navigate your career with confidence
→Is it menopause - or burnout at work?
→How to talk to your manager about menopause
→Menopause workplace adjustments: what you can ask for
→Your legal rights at work during menopause
→Why menopause is a workplace issue - not just a personal one
→What the Employment Rights Act 2025 means for menopause at work
Build a workplace where women don't have to struggle silently
Whether you are looking to meet GEAP requirements, improve manager confidence, support employees more effectively, or reduce the organisational cost of unsupported menopause - workplace menopause support needs to move beyond awareness alone.
Phillipa provides the only UK manager training programme that addresses surgical and cancer-related menopause, both male and female manager blind spots, trans and non-binary inclusion with legal grounding, and the full culture-shift from compliance to capability.
Even if we decide training isn't right for your organisation right now, you'll leave the conversation with clarity.