Guidance

Conduct a menopause risk assessment for your workplace

Published 4 March 2026

Applies to England, Scotland and Wales

© Crown copyright 2026

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/conduct-a-menopause-risk-assessment-for-your-workplace/conduct-a-menopause-risk-assessment-for-your-workplace

Purpose of this action

The aim of this action is to consider the specific needs of employees experiencing menopause, which most women will go through at some point in their lives. Effective risk assessments can help you set up your workplace and ways of working to ensure they do not exacerbate menopausal symptoms. This is important because, while menopause itself is not a risk, a formal assessment provides a structure to consider the range of impacts it can have.

Benefits and evidence

Conducting a menopause risk assessment is a vital first step in providing effective support at work. By using a structured approach, you can ensure employees have consistent access to the support they need to manage their symptoms.

Risk assessments can help you understand how the workplace can affect menopause symptoms. Research has found that some women believe employers should understand how working conditions can affect how menopause is experienced at work, such as:[footnote 1][footnote 2]

  • temperature control and ventilation
  • access to cold drinking water
  • rest areas
  • suitable uniforms
  • ergonomic furniture
  • access to toilets

By doing a risk assessment, employers can identify and put in place any appropriate adjustments.[footnote 3]

Providing menopause support may help to reduce related sick leave. This may improve absence rates and help you retain employees.[footnote 4][footnote 5]

A clear approach to menopause support can also help build employee trust. Risk assessments may show that your organisation is committed to open discussions about menopause and women’s health.[footnote 6]

Implementing this action

A menopause risk assessment might consider the following:

  • the temperature and ventilation of the workplace
  • the material and fit of your organisation’s uniform, and if it makes employees feel too hot
  • how easy it is to request extra uniforms
  • if ergonomic furniture is provided or can be requested 
  • if there is a suitable place for employees to rest
  • if toilet facilities are easy to get to
  • if cold drinking water is available
  • if managers have been trained on health and safety issues for menopause
  • if employees are aware of their flexible working entitlements and how flexible working requests are accommodated 

When you introduce these assessments, you can:

  • review them regularly to keep the work environment safe and healthy
  • use internal communications so employees know they can ask for an assessment without being put at a disadvantage
  • provide training and support for the people carrying out the assessments

In smaller organisations, line managers can carry out these assessments in a simple and cost-effective way. Larger organisations might want to use HR professionals to run a more detailed programme.

Tracking progress

You might want to consider tracking the progress of this action by:

  • tracking how many people use the assessments once they are available
  • using anonymous surveys to check if employees are satisfied, and to get their feedback on the assessment process and the changes you have made
  • analysing data on absence rates and how many staff stay with the organisation

You should gather data before you start this action. This can help you monitor any changes for your target group, such as women aged 40 to 60 years.

Data privacy

Some or all of the equality information you collect is likely to be ‘special category personal data’, meaning it has special legal protections. 

Ensure that you are complying with the UK’s data protection legislation when you collect and analyse employees’ data.

Get advice and approval from your organisation’s privacy or data protection expert before you start.

  1. Hardy C, Griffiths A and Hunter MS (2017) What do working menopausal women want? A qualitative investigation into women’s perspectives on employer and line manager support. Maturitas, 101, 37-41. ↩

  2. Safwan N, Saadedine M, Shufelt CL, Kapoor E, Kling JM, Chaudhry R and Faubion SS (2024) Menopause in the workplace: Challenges, impact, and next steps. Maturitas, 185, 107983. ↩

  3. Brewis J, Beck V, Davies A and Matheson J. (2017) The effects of menopause transition on women’s economic participation in the UK. Government Social Research Report: DFE–RR704, July. London: Department for Education. ↩

  4. Department for Work Pensions (2025) Menopause in the workplace literature review. ↩

  5. Brewis J, Beck V, Davies A and Matheson J. (2017) The effects of menopause transition on women’s economic participation in the UK. Government Social Research Report: DFE–RR704, July. London: Department for Education. ↩

  6. Brewis J, Beck V, Davies A and Matheson J. (2017) The effects of menopause transition on women’s economic participation in the UK. Government Social Research Report: DFE–RR704, July. London: Department for Education. ↩

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