Changing laws to protect women going through menopause “not ruled out”

The Chair of the Women and Equalities Committee states that menopause could potentially become a protected characteristic under the Equality Act. MP and Chair of the Women and Equalities Committee, Caroline Nokes, has said changing legislation to protect and support women going through menopause should not be ruled out. This comes as the Government recently launched an inquiry into the matter which seeks to scrutinise existing legislation and workplace practices to analyse if it is fit for purpose. Some of the key questions it aims to answer includes understanding the nature and extent of discrimination faced by women experiencing the menopause. The committee also wants to gain a better understanding of how companies can address workplace discrimination linked to the menopause. Ms. Nokes reflected on the lack of clear legislation regarding the issue, making it difficult for individuals to take their cases to an employment tribunal: One of the key messages coming through is that people don’t feel that they’ve got adequate recourse to tribunals, because they think the legislation isn’t clear enough. We are hearing too many stories of people finding the most convenient mechanism to bring a claim for disability discrimination – the menopause isn’t a disability. Despite