Recommendation 12

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.