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”.

Menopause and menstruation standards for workplaces have just been launched – and it’s about time