Menopause Action Plans: New 2026–27 Rules for Employers

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Updated 22 October 2026. Employers are preparing for new menopause action plan requirements under the Employment Rights Act 2025. The change is easy to misstate: the Act creates the legal framework, while the detailed rules that will make plans compulsory are still described by the Government as subject to secondary legislation.

For employers with 250 or more employees, action plans can already be published voluntarily alongside gender pay gap data. The Government expects publication to become mandatory from spring 2027, subject to legislation. Smaller employers are not currently within this publication scheme, but the existing duties to prevent discrimination and manage workplace health and safety still matter.

What are the new menopause regulations?

There is not a separate menopause regulation requiring every employer to introduce a menopause policy. Section 33 of the Employment Rights Act 2025 amended the Equality Act 2010 to allow regulations to require relevant employers to develop and publish an “equality action plan”. One of the matters named in the legislation is supporting employees going through menopause.

The section came into force on 6 April 2026. The Government’s current employer guidance says plans are voluntary for employers with 250 or more employees during the 2026–27 reporting year and are expected to become mandatory from spring 2027, subject to secondary legislation. Employers should check the final regulations and updated guidance before relying on a particular compliance deadline.

Which employers are affected?

The scheme is aimed at employers with 250 or more employees. Plans are submitted and published through the Government’s Gender Pay Gap Service, alongside gender pay gap information. The Government says a separate plan is needed for each separate legal entity in a group that meets the 250-employee threshold.

The current GOV.UK guidance applies to England, Scotland and Wales, but it notes that different rules apply to some public authorities in Scotland and Wales. The Government’s business guidance says the future mandatory measure will mirror the scope of gender pay gap reporting, including large private-sector employers in Great Britain and specified public authorities. Employers in Northern Ireland should check the applicable Northern Ireland rules rather than assume the Great Britain scheme applies.

What must an action plan contain?

Under the Government’s current voluntary framework, employers choose at least two actions: at least one to address their organisation’s gender pay gap and at least one to support employees experiencing menopause. At least two actions must be marked as “new or in progress”; employers can also describe work that is already embedded. The plan should explain what the organisation is doing, how it will put the actions into practice and how it will review progress.

The Government has published evidence-informed options, including:

  • training managers to support employees experiencing menopause;
  • offering occupational health advice;
  • creating menopause support groups or networks;
  • offering workplace adjustments;
  • carrying out a menopause risk assessment; and
  • reviewing policies and procedures so they work for employees experiencing menopause.

These are possible actions, not a requirement to adopt every measure. Choose actions that respond to your workforce and workplace. The guidance says support should cover perimenopause and postmenopause and be accessible to employees of different ages.

What should employers do now?

Although publication is currently voluntary, preparing now gives larger employers time to consult staff and make the plan useful rather than treating it as a last-minute reporting exercise.

  1. Understand the issues. Use staff feedback, existing absence and retention information, exit interviews and workforce data where appropriate. Explain how information will be kept confidential and avoid collecting personal health details that are not needed.
  2. Talk with employees. Ask what practical barriers exist across different roles and work settings. Make participation accessible and voluntary, and do not expect any employee to disclose symptoms or a diagnosis.
  3. Choose specific actions. Pair at least one menopause-support action with a gender-pay-gap action. Set out an owner, a realistic timetable and a measure of progress for each.
  4. Review everyday procedures. Check whether managers know how to handle requests sensitively, whether employees know how to ask for support, and whether adjustments can be considered promptly. A written policy can help explain the process, but it is not a substitute for listening to the individual.
  5. Check the final rules. Keep the plan under review and confirm the final statutory scope, submission process and deadlines when the secondary legislation and updated Government guidance are available.

Possible measures include manager-training completion, employee awareness of support routes, the time taken to respond to adjustment requests, and anonymised feedback on whether support is accessible. Use measures that help the organisation learn; avoid targets that pressure staff to disclose health information.

Does menopause have a separate protected status?

No. Menopause is not a standalone protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010. However, treatment connected with menopause symptoms could in some circumstances lead to a claim involving sex, age, disability or gender reassignment discrimination. If an employee meets the legal definition of disability, the employer may also have a duty to make reasonable adjustments. The facts and the employee’s circumstances matter.

Employers also have duties under health and safety law to assess and manage workplace risks. Acas recommends having clear steps and support in place, and talking with workers to understand what may help. A menopause action plan is an additional way for larger employers to describe and improve their approach; it does not replace those existing duties.

How is an action plan different from a menopause policy?

A policy explains the organisation’s approach and how an employee can request support. An action plan sets out the practical steps the employer is taking, including how it will address its gender pay gap and support employees experiencing menopause. A handbook can help communicate workplace procedures, but a handbook policy on its own will not meet the purpose of a published action plan.

If you are reviewing wider workplace documentation, our Employee Handbook Template UK may provide a starting point for recording core policies and procedures. It should be adapted to your organisation and kept separate from any action plan submission.

For more changes under the same legislation, see our Employment Rights Act October 2026 employer guide.

Key dates at a glance

  • 6 April 2026: the equality action plan framework in section 33 of the Employment Rights Act 2025 came into force.
  • From April 2026: employers with 250 or more employees can publish a voluntary action plan with their gender pay gap data.
  • 30 March 2027: current guidance’s voluntary first-plan deadline for most public authority employers.
  • 4 April 2027: current guidance’s voluntary first-plan deadline for private, voluntary and other public authority employers.
  • Spring 2027: the Government expects plans to become mandatory, subject to secondary legislation. The voluntary reporting-year dates above should not be mistaken for the final compulsory deadline.

Official guidance and sources

This article summarises official guidance available on 22 October 2026. It is general information, not legal advice. Check the final regulations and official guidance before taking compliance decisions.

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