The Government has now responded to a report on the impact of menopause in the workplace following an independent report published at the end of last year. One of the questions raised was whether the menopause should be considered as a separate Protected Characteristic for discrimination purposes.
It has now responded to these recommendations as follows:
There will be no further changes to the Equality Act 2010. The government has said that it considers it sufficient that women (and transgender men who were female at birth) going through the menopause can bring sex, age and disability discrimination claims as necessary and that specific protection is not necessary.
It also rejected a recommendation to bring into force dual discrimination which would enable multiple, discrimination claims to be recognised, (e.g. on the grounds of sex and disability); and it aims to increase its employer-focused communications on menopause and encourage the development of support within established partnerships and campaigns.
The Government also plans to support businesses and business groups when producing their own communications, promoting their adoption of better working practices for supporting women through the menopause, including Employer Assistance Programmes and Menopause Champions in the workplace.
If you would like help developing a Menopause policy for your business, you can download your complete template from our HR Document Shop.
About the author
Award-winning HR consultant Helen Astill has considerable experience in all aspects of practical human resource management and development, gained from a variety of senior positions in both public and private sectors.
Cherington HR joined HR Solutions in July 2021, providing Cherington HR’s clients with a wider service offering and extensive additional experienced staff.
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