Select committee: Women and Equalities Committee
Recommendation 12
First Report - Menopause and the Workplace
Published 28 Jul 2022
Paragraph 97
Addressed to Government Equalities Office
Women and Equalities Committee Menopause and the workplace All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
The current law does not serve or protect menopausal women. Whilst the law rightly protects women from pregnancy and maternity discrimination, it does not specifically protect menopause. This is anomalous, given all women will experience menopause, whilst not all women experience pregnancy. It is unsatisfactory that menopausal women must instead frequently present themselves as suffering from a disability in order to make an effective claim. We consider any burdens on employers due to legal change are outweighed by the existing and considerable costs to society, the economy and individual women, of menopausal women leaving the workplace prematurely. Section 14 of the Equality Act 2010 provides a partial solution and is ‘shelf-ready’. The Government should immediately commence section 14 of the Equality Act 2010.
From: Women and Equalities Committee, First Report - Menopause and the Workplace (HC 91), paragraph 97, 28 July 2022
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 24 January 2023 (deadline 28 September 2022).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government welcomes the Committee's report and responds to each recommendation, accepting some in full, some in principle or in part, and not accepting others.
- On a public health campaign, the government "accepts this recommendation in principle" but says that "at this stage there is already much work underway or planned". It "will keep the impact of current initiatives under review" and "continue to consider if a public health campaign may be needed in the future".
- On HRT costs, it accepts the recommendation in part. A bespoke HRT pre-payment certificate will be introduced "from April 2023, subject to consultation", costing the equivalent of two prescription charges. It does not accept a national HRT formulary, saying one "is not required".
- On flexible working, the government "accepts this recommendation" and has committed to making it a "day one" right, which it says it can do through regulations. It will "consider guidance alongside legislative developments".
- The government does not accept the recommendations to commence section 14 of the Equality Act 2010 or to consult on a new protected characteristic of menopause, saying it is "not satisfied that the evidence given to the Committee" fully supports new legislation.