Employers Could Be Sued for Discrimination Over Menopause, Warns Equalities Watchdog

Employers could be sued for disability discrimination if they do not make “reasonable adjustments” for menopausal women in the workplace, under new guidance issued by the equalities watchdog. Advice from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) published on Wednesday states that if menopause symptoms have a substantial and long-term impact on a woman’s ability to conduct normal activities, “these symptoms could be considered a disability.” The guidance continues that under the Equality Act (2010), “if menopause symptoms amount to a disability, an employer will be under a legal obligation to make reasonable adjustments. They will also be under a legal obligation to not directly or indirectly discriminate because of the disability or subject the woman to discrimination arising from disability.”...