Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Employers fail to support menopause, pushing 'highly skilled and experienced' women out of work, MPs warn

The government must launch a consultation no later than the end of 2022, exploring how to introduce menopause as a protected characteristic, as with pregnancy or maternity.

Employers fail to support menopause, pushing 'highly skilled and experienced' women out of work, MPs warn

The cross-party women and equalities committee in a report published on Thursday (28) urged the government to introduce menopause as a protected characteristic by amending the Equality Act.

It also wanted to include a duty for employers to provide reasonable adjustments for menopausal employees as lack of support for symptoms is pushing 'highly skilled and experienced' women out of work, with knock-on effects on the gender pay gap, pension gap and the number of women in senior leadership positions.


The MPs also asked to remove dual prescription charges for oestrogen and progesterone as part of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), by replacing it with a single charge for all women.

According to the report, women with at least one problematic menopausal symptom are 43 per cent more likely to have left their jobs by the age of 55 than those experiencing no severe symptoms. Additionally, a research by BUPA revealed that 900,000 women experiencing the menopause have left work.

In a survey of over 2000 women commissioned by the Committee, 67 per cent reported 'a loss of confidence' as a result of menopausal symptoms and 70 per cent reported 'increased stress'.

However, only 12 per cent of pondents sought any workplace adjustments, with 1 in 4 citing their worries about an employers' reaction as their reason for not doing so.

The current law 'does not serve or protect' menopausal women as witnesses told the Committee that discrimination in the workplace is 'widespread' and 'shocking'. Besides, many women feel their GP is not well-equipped to properly diagnose or treat menopause.

"We were shocked to hear that many women have to demonstrate their menopausal symptoms amount to a disability, to get redress. Our Committee is calling on the Government to make menopause a protected characteristic in its own right," said Caroline Nokes MP, chair of the Committee.

"We must facilitate a healthcare system which recognises and treats menopause symptoms. Too many women are dismissed when coming forward with symptoms and too many women are unable to access the care and medication they need. It is easily within the Government's power to remove the financial and regional barriers to doing so. The inclusion of menopause as a priority area in the newly published Women’s Health Strategy is very welcome.

"Menopausal women have been mocked and maligned for too long. It is time that the government seizes the opportunity to enact change. It is time to support, and celebrate, these women."

More For You

british-muslims-iStock

The study noted that this identification was not due to any doctrinal obligation but was influenced by the perception that many Muslims do not feel fully accepted as British. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Majority of British Muslims identify by faith first, study finds

A STUDY by the Institute for the Impact of Faith in Life (IIFL) has found that most British Muslims identify primarily with their religion rather than their nationality.

The research, based on a survey of 815 British Muslim adults by Whitestone Insight, revealed that 71 per cent of respondents identified as Muslim first, while 27 per cent identified as British, English, or Scottish first.

Keep ReadingShow less
Car Tax Changes: EV Owners Now Required to Pay for the First Time

Owners of electric vehicles registered on or after 1 April 2025 will pay £10 for the first year, followed by the standard VED rate of £195 from the second year. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Car tax changes take effect: EV owners to pay for first time

FROM today, 1 April 2025, electric cars, vans, and motorcycles in the UK will be subject to Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) for the first time.

The change, introduced in the 2022 Autumn Statement by former Conservative Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, aims to make motoring taxation fairer.

Keep ReadingShow less
scotland-minimum-wages-iStock

Full-time workers on the National Living Wage will receive an annual pay increase of £1,400 in real terms. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Wage increase takes effect for thousands of workers in Scotland

HUNDREDS of thousands of workers in Scotland will see a pay increase as new National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage rates take effect from Tuesday.

The changes will benefit approximately 220,000 people, according to STV News.

Keep ReadingShow less
uk-energy-bill-iStock

Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

April bill increases put financial strain on single parents

A RANGE of essential household bills are increasing from April, with Citizens Advice warning that single parents will be among the hardest hit.

Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased, BBC reported.

Keep ReadingShow less
Netflix drama Adolescence to be screened in UK schools
Stephen Graham and Owen Cooper in 'Adolescence'
Netflix

Netflix drama Adolescence to be screened in UK schools

THE NETFLIX drama Adolescence will be shown in UK secondary schools as part of efforts to address harmful online influences on young boys, officials announced on Monday.

The show has sparked debate over the impact of toxic and misogynistic content on the internet. Prime minister Keir Starmer met the show's creators, charities, and young people at Downing Street, calling the initiative an important step in starting discussions about the content teenagers are exposed to online.

Keep ReadingShow less