EHRC publishes new guidance on menopause in the workplace
EHRC publishes new guidance on menopause in the workplace
In recent years, there has been an increasing societal awareness and political focus on the issues women face during perimenopause and menopause and the impact these can have on them in the workplace. Concerns have been raised, in the media and by politicians, about the number of women of menopausal age (most commonly between age 45 and 55) who choose to reduce their hours of work, change to a less demanding job, or drop out of the workforce altogether because of the severity of their menopause symptoms.
The Equality and Humans Rights Commission (EHRC) has recently published new guidance for employers on menopause in the workplace. The guidance, which is designed to help employers understand their legal obligations in relation to supporting workers experiencing menopausal symptoms, includes:
- An overview of menopause and perimenopause;
- Links to NHS information about menopause and perimenopause and outlining the key symptoms that can be associated with them;
- A brief summary of the impact perimenopause and menopause can have on women in the workplace, such as: having a reduced ability to concentrate, increased stress, having less patience with clients and colleagues and being less physically able to carry out work tasks;
- Details of an employer’s legal obligations towards its perimenopausal and menopausal workers under both health & safety law, and the Equality Act 2010 including:
- Explaining that menopausal women may be protected against various forms of discrimination and harassment under three protected characteristics: age, sex and disability discrimination; and
- That, if the menopausal symptoms are severe enough to qualify as a disability, the employer will also have additional duties to make reasonable adjustments.
- Explaining that menopausal women may be protected against various forms of discrimination and harassment under three protected characteristics: age, sex and disability discrimination; and
In addition, there are links in the guidance to videos explaining the following issues:
