Menopause at Work: Reasonable Adjustments
Menopause is pushing experienced people out of the workforce, quietly. Around one in ten women who worked during menopause have left a job because of their symptoms, usually without ever telling their employer why.
There is no standalone "menopause law" in the UK, but that doesn’t mean employers are off the hook. Where menopause symptoms are long-lasting and have a substantial effect on day-to-day life, they can meet the Equality Act 2010 definition of disability, and tribunals have repeatedly upheld claims on exactly that basis. Sex and age discrimination claims can apply too.
Why this catches employers out
- Symptoms (disrupted sleep, brain fog, anxiety, hot flushes) are often invisible and fluctuate, so they don’t fit neatly into absence policies.
- Many employees would rather resign than raise it with a manager they don’t know how to start the conversation with.
- Without a documented process, the first time an employer hears about it is often in a grievance or tribunal claim.
Adjustments that keep people
Most menopause adjustments cost little or nothing: temperature control or a desk fan, flexibility around start times after disrupted sleep, more frequent breaks, access to cold water and washroom facilities, adjusted uniform requirements, homeworking on difficult days, and time off for related appointments without triggering absence warnings.
How TryMosaic helps
TryMosaic gives employees a discreet, structured way to request adjustments without a face-to-face disclosure they may be dreading. Managers get a clear workflow for agreeing what’s reasonable, and the organisation gets a consistent, documented approach, rather than outcomes that depend on which manager you happen to have.