HomeHow it works
For IndividualsOverviewInside the appOur ExpertsGive BackAboutContact
For EmployersOverviewROI CalculatorSecurity and DataGive BackAboutBook a demo
PartnersBecome a partnerCoaches and expertsSpeakers and trainersBecome an ambassadorCharity partners
ResourcesInsightsPodcastFAQsPressUrgent supportCareers
Get Started
Insights · For employers

Menopause at work: what employers can do before the 2027 action plans

By the VYVE team · October 2026 · 3 minute read

In September 2026 the British Standards Institution published BS ISO 45010, international guidance on supporting people experiencing menstruation and menopause at work. BSI says it will be made available at no cost, and it arrives ahead of a change many UK employers need to prepare for.

Why it matters

BSI’s own research shows how far there is to go:

  • 57% of UK women say they have never heard their employer talk about menstruation or menopause.
  • Only 38% of employees who have experienced these challenges feel confident their employer would help them find a solution.
  • Just 10% would feel confident discussing it with a male line manager, and 19% with HR.
  • 49% say their employer offers no support at all.

Analysis by CEBR for BSI estimates a productivity gain of almost £300 million a year if employees felt confident raising these issues at work.

What is changing in 2027

Under the Employment Rights Act 2025, employers with 250 or more employees are expected to publish equality action plans, including the steps they are taking to support employees going through the menopause. Regulations are expected from spring 2027.

What the standard covers

BS ISO 45010 gives practical guidance for leaders, managers, HR and health and safety teams on workplace culture, policies, manager training, workplace design, adjustments and measuring impact. It includes guidance for smaller employers, and the new edition adds a clause on disclosure and privacy, expanded definitions and a template workplace charter.

What employers can do now

  • Start the conversation. Say openly that menopause and menstrual health are welcome topics at work.
  • Train managers. Give them the confidence to listen and respond well, whoever they are managing.
  • Make simple adjustments easy. Temperature control, flexibility, breaks and uniform choices often make a real difference.
  • Protect privacy. Be clear about what is shared, with whom and why.
  • Use the standard. If you need an action plan from 2027, it gives you a structure to build on.

Where VYVE fits

VYVE is not a menopause service and does not provide medical care. Anyone with symptoms should speak to their GP or a menopause specialist, and the NHS website is a good place to start.

What VYVE can offer alongside that is everyday support that many people find helpful: sleep tracking and guidance, strength and movement plans, breathwork and meditation, daily check-ins and access to counsellors. Members’ data stays private to them, and employers see anonymised, grouped insight only.

Our mission is to help people get support before they reach crisis, and to help workplaces become places where it is normal to ask. Good menopause support at work is part of that, and it is a conversation every employer can start today.

See VYVE for employers.

Sources: BSI, Global guidance to help keep women experiencing menstruation and menopause in work published, September 2026; Bates Wells, People and Workplace round-up, October 2026; NHS, Menopause.

This article is general information, not legal or medical advice.

← All insights