Developing The Conversation Around Menopause

Catch up with our previous article.

What Happened?

Following this inquiry, a Private Member's Bill was put before the House of Commons by Carolyn Harris MP, seeking to make provision for menopause support in the workplace and elsewhere and exempt hormone replacement therapy from National Health Service prescription charges. During the Bill's second reading, the Government confirmed that it would be reducing prescription charges for HRT products and outlined other work it was doing to improve menopause care. In response to the Government's comments the Private Member's Bill has been withdrawn.

What Comments Have the Government Made?

From an employment law / workplace perspective the Government made the following comments:

• The Civil Service is developing their first workplace menopause policy to ensure women can continue to work to their full potential following the footsteps of other organisations including the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, the British Menopause Society and the Faculty of Occupational Medicine, who have all produced guidelines to support employers.
• Flexible working can assist those in menopause and the consultation on the Government's proposals around flexible working in general remains open until 1 December 2021.
• Round table meetings are taking place with industry bodies with a view to make recommendations on how to improve understanding of and support for the menopause in the workplace.
• The Women and Equalities Committee of the House of Commons has launched a new inquiry regarding the treatment of women going through menopause in the workplace. The aim is to scrutinise existing legislation and workplace practices to see if enough is being done to address the issue.
• It will establish a new menopause taskforce to encourage a fast and coherent approach to improved support for those experiencing the menopause

Menopause Related Cases on the Rise

It is also interesting to note that employment law cases referencing menopause would appear to be on the rise (in the first six months of 2021 there have been 10 employment claims referencing the claimant’s menopause, compared to five for the full year of 2018).

This is clearly a developing area and we will aim to keep you updated as case law develops and the Government makes further announcements. If you are thinking of taking steps in your organisation these could include the provision of training and a review existing staff policies.

You may also want to view the webinar provided by NQHR and VWV on the issue of the menopause and the workplace.

If you require any further information then please do not hesitate to contact Sharmin Chowdhury of our Employment Law Team on 01923 919 373, or complete the form below.