A new set of standards has been unveiled to help businesses support employees who are experiencing menopause or menstruation.

The menstruation, menstrual health and menopause in the workplace standard, known as BS 30416, has been developed by the British Standards Institute.

It includes practical recommendations for adjustments that can be made for employees dealing with menopause and menstruation, and strategies that employers can use to help meet their needs. 

Workplaces will be asked to consider whether there is an awareness of menstruation and menopause in their working culture and whether employees are being given opportunities to have open conversations about it or to request extra support.

The guidelines also recommend that training is offered to line managers and HR staff, along with flexible working options and changes to the work environment, which might include quiet recovery spaces or more discreet changing rooms.

The new standard was developed with input from companies including Morrisons and BT, along with representations from Unison, the Federation of Small Businesses. The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, the Daisy Network, the LGBT Foundation and Endometriosis UK. 

It comes after research from the Fawcett Society found that around 10% of those experiencing menopause have left the workplace because of symptoms like hot flushes, insomnia and dizziness.

For those with more severe symptoms, this figure rose to 25%.

“Organisations which prioritise their people by building an inclusive workplace will be best placed to continue to thrive in the future,” said Anne Hayes, director of sectors at the BSI

“There is no one-size-fits-all experience of menopause, but the data suggests thousands of women are leaving the workforce at this stage, contributing to significant productivity losses, robbing organisations of talented people and removing mentors who can draw on their experience to support newer members of staff. It doesn’t have to be that way.”

Helen Tomlinson, menopause employment champion for the UK government, said that she was “truly delighted” by the new workplace standard, which she said recognised “the challenges, symptoms and experiences of both menopause and menstrual health and how these can affect women in the workplace.

“It’s a free resource for any organisation, large or small across all sectors, to be able to utilise,” she added. “This will go a long way to ensure that everyone can receive the support they need at this critical time.

“I firmly believe this transition isn’t a time to step back, step down or step out. If we get this right for 50% of the population that we need in the workplace from an economic and experience perspective, it has the potential to make the final 10, 15 or 20 years of a woman’s career the most productive, exciting and meaningful.”

Last year, a cross-party committee report called on the government to take action to stop women leaving the workforce due to their menopause symptoms, with MPs calling for menopause to become a protected characteristic under the Equality Act.

However, this was rejected at the start of 2023, with the government warning of “unintended consequences which may inadvertently create new forms of discrimination, for example, discrimination risks towards men suffering from long-term medical conditions”.

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