new on 28 February 2023
School types: All · School phases: All
Ref: 42165

Find everything you need to review and approve your school's menopause policy, including what to look for in the policy and key questions to ask your school leaders.

Key points to look out for

Below we suggest what might be included in a menopause policy but, since it’s not statutory, policies can vary.

Aims and objectives

Your policy should state how it aims to support staff members affected by the menopause through things such as:

  • Making sure staff feel comfortable at work when experiencing symptoms
  • Ensuring staff feel they can ask for support and adjustments
  • Setting out how the school will make reasonable adjustments to minimise risk of worsening symptoms
  • Addressing menopause-related stigma through education of staff members - you could include a list of common symptoms in the policy
  • Providing further resources, particularly for line managers or HR to help them support staff

It could also provide definitions for key terms, such as menopause, perimenopause and post-menopause.

Roles and responsibilities

Governing board – will be mindful of its duty of care to staff, monitor the