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For employees in the UK

Menopause adjustments at work, and a letter to ask for them

Choose what affects you at work. You see the changes that Acas and the GOV.UK guidance for employers list, each with its source, and a polite letter asking your manager for a conversation about the ones you pick.

  • Ideas from Acas and GOV.UK guidance
  • Nothing you choose is stored or sent
  • Free, with no sign-up
1

What affects you at work

Symptoms as the NHS describes them. Choose any; you decide later whether the letter mentions them.

2

What your work involves

Acas says employers should consider how a job can make symptoms harder to deal with, for example long shifts, a uniform or little flexibility.

3

Changes to talk about

Tick the ones you would like to raise. Each change is from the guidance named under it; which ones appear for your choices is our own grouping, as the guidance lists them without linking them to particular symptoms.

    4

    Your letter

    A request for a private conversation, not a legal demand. Copy it into an email or download it, and change anything you like before you send it.

    GOV.UK’s guidance for employers suggests responding to adjustment requests as soon as possible, for example within 10 working days.

    
          
    
            
            
            
          
    
        
    
      
    
    
    
    
    
  
    

  
    Everything here happens in your browser. Nothing you choose or type is stored or sent anywhere, and there are no analytics on this page. Close the tab and it is gone.
    

  

  
    
    
    
      
    Where the ideas come from
    
      
    Acas. Its guidance on menopause at work lists changes an employer could make, from flexible start and finish times to control over your working environment, and the points a menopause risk assessment covers. It also says changes should be agreed in writing and reviewed, and that absence because of menopause should be recorded separately.
    
      
    GOV.UK. The action pages written for employers’ equality action plans: workplace adjustments, the menopause risk assessment, occupational health advice and support networks. They suggest employers respond to requests as soon as possible and agree changes in writing.
    
      
    The NHS. The list of symptoms, in its words. The match between a symptom and a change is ours, to help you choose.
    
    
    
    
    
      
    Before you send it
    
      
    Talking first is fine. Acas says employers should invite workers to talk privately, and that you decide how much to share. The letter can simply start that conversation.
    
      
    Longer-term changes. For a lasting change to your hours or pattern, Acas says you could make a flexible working request.
    
      
    Help and advice. A trade union representative, HR or an employee assistance service can help. For advice on your rights, call the Acas helpline on 0300 123 1100.
    
      
    Sources: Acas, Menopause at work: Supporting workers, Talking with workers and Menopause and discrimination (updated 7 April 2026); EHRC, Menopause in the workplace: guidance for employers (updated 24 June 2026); GOV.UK, Offer workplace adjustments and Conduct a menopause risk assessment (4 March 2026); NHS, Symptoms of menopause and perimenopause. Last checked 10 October 2026.
    
    
    
  
    

  
    
    
    Questions
    
    
    
      
    Is menopause covered by the Equality Act?
    Menopause is not itself a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010, Acas says. The Equality and Human Rights Commission says that if menopause or perimenopause symptoms have a long term and substantial impact on a woman’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities, they could be considered a disability, and if they amount to a disability the employer is under a legal obligation to make reasonable adjustments. Less favourable treatment because of menopause symptoms could also be age or sex discrimination. Whether any of this applies to you depends on your circumstances.
    
      
    What are reasonable adjustments for menopause at work?
    Acas lists changes such as flexible start and finish times, breaks when needed, a private area to rest, working from home when practical, time off on a day you cannot carry on, changes to some duties, and control over your working environment such as a fan or a window that opens. A menopause risk assessment looks at temperature and ventilation, uniforms, rest areas, toilets and cold drinking water.
    
      
    Do I have to tell my employer about my symptoms?
    Acas says the worker should decide how much information they share, and that managers should respect their privacy and not tell colleagues without their permission. The letter here mentions your symptoms only if you choose to.
    
      
    Who can I talk to if not my manager?
    Acas says employers should give the option of talking to someone other than your manager, such as someone in HR, a trade union representative, an employee assistance counsellor or a menopause or wellbeing champion. For advice on your rights at work, the Acas helpline is 0300 123 1100.
    
    
    
  
    

  
    
    
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    Not legal advice. The ideas are changes the official guidance for employers lists; whether an employer has to make any of them depends on the circumstances. The letter is a request for a conversation.