The Employment Rights Bill
What employers need to know about Menopause Action Plans
New legislation is coming. Keep reading for practical guidance, real-world examples and the step-by-step path employers trust.
A new era for workplace inclusion
With the proposed Employment Rights Bill, the UK is entering a new era for gender equality and workplace wellbeing.
For the first time, large employers will be legally required to publish a Menopause Action Plan as part of their Gender Equality Plan. What was once voluntary best practice will soon become an essential part of responsible leadership.
This will be a pivotal shift for many organisations, yet for those already working with Henpicked’s Menopause Friendly team, it reflects a journey well underway.
Read our roadmap to Menopause Friendly Excellence
What this means for your organisation
Large employers (with 250 or more employees) will be required to publish a Menopause Action Plan as part of their Gender Equality Plan, according to the Employment Rights Bill.
For your organisation this means preparing now — understanding how menopause impacts your workforce, developing your action plan, embedding culture change — so you’re ready when the legal requirement takes effect.
Employers will need to:
Publish a Menopause Action Plan as part of the Gender Equality Plan
Demonstrate clear commitments to supporting colleagues experiencing menopause
Show measurable progress and practical support
Strengthen inclusion, retention and wellbeing outcomes
This isn’t just compliance. It’s culture change. And it’s essential for building workplaces where everyone can thrive.
The gold standard in menopause workplace support
We helped write the BSI Standard on Menstruation, Menstrual Health and Menopause in the Workplace, so when you achieve The Menopause Friendly Accreditation, you’re aligned with the gold standard in menopause workplace support.
Roadmap to Menopause Friendly excellence
No two employers take exactly the same route. Your organisation’s starting point and priorities will shape your journey. But over a decade of supporting thousands of employers, we’ve learned what genuinely works.
Here’s an example roadmap to show how your path could look…
1
Recognise and commit
- Enlist Senior leadership to endorse the initiative and set clear ownership (HR / Wellbeing Lead)
- Baseline audit: where are you today in culture, policy, awareness, training?
- Set timeline and designate budget and resources for support
2
Build the foundation
- Join Menopause Friendly Membership: gain access to ready-to-use assets, case studies, policy templates, an evidence-based blueprint for best practice and on-demand learning
- Develop your first draft Menopause Action Plan (aligned with the new legal requirement)
- Launch internal awareness campaign using comms pack materials
3
Educate and break taboo
- Launch colleague Menopause Awareness Sessions and/or eLearning to normalise the conversation and reduce stigma
- Encourage open discussion and reinforce leadership commitment to inclusion
- Begin capturing early feedback and engagement levels
5
Equip key people
- Provide training for HR, Occupational Health (OH) and line managers
- Build manager confidence to hold supportive conversations and spot early signs of menopause impact
- Identify internal champions and prepare them for the next step
5
Embed advocacy & culture change
- Launch the Train-the-Trainer programme to create a network of Menopause Advocates
- These advocates drive peer support, ensure sustainability and embed the plan across teams
- Start tracking early measures: e.g., uptake of training, internal feedback, informal support conversations
6
Achieve excellence & accreditation
- Prepare for the Menopause Friendly Accreditation — the industry-recognised mark of excellence for menopause in the workplace
- Assessment ensures you’ve met all the requirements of your Menopause Action Plan and demonstrated real culture change
- Use the Accreditation mark in your employer brand to signal leadership in inclusive wellbeing
7
Review, evolve and lead
- Publish your Menopause Action Plan (now a legal requirement for large employers)
- Review progress annually and refine your approach based on colleague feedback and organisational needs
- Keep the conversation alive with ongoing Masterclasses, diving deeper into topics that matter most to colleagues and ensuring menopause remains an active, confident part of workplace culture
- Share your success stories internally and externally to inspire others
The partner of choice for leading employers
Why employers are turning to Henpicked
At Henpicked, we’ve spent a decade helping organisations build compassionate, evidence-based, sustainable menopause support.
We helped write the BSI Standard on Menstruation, Menstrual Health and Menopause in the Workplace, and the Menopause Friendly Accreditation is recognised across the UK, US and Australia as the gold standard for good practice.
Every day, employers use our tried, tested and trusted guidance to:
- Develop meaningful policies and action plans
- Build confident, informed managers
- Create supportive cultures where colleagues feel heard
- Get ahead of legislative change with confidence
- Demonstrate excellence with independently assessed accreditation
The first organisation to achieve CPD Accreditation for menopause in the workplace training
So you can be sure our training delivers the best outcomes for your people and your business.
Book a free 30-minute consultation
The landscape is changing — and now’s the time to get ahead.
Complete the form to book a free 30-minute teams consultation for tailored guidance on your Menopause Action Plan and discover how we can support your organisation to excel.
You’ll recieve a calendar invitation with a member of the Henpicked team who will discuss what it means to be a menopause friendly organisation, your aims and how we can help.
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