Tribunals Triple In Less Than 2 Years

Tribunals Triple In Less Than 2 Years

The trials of menopause report: We found 23 Employment Tribunals Citing Menopause in 2021, this is an alarming increase of a whopping 44% on 2020 figures!

During our research looking into how women are treated in the workplace when going through menopause, we have discovered that there were 23 employment tribunals citing menopause in 2021 — up 44% from the 16 cases in the previous year, reveals research by us here at  Menopause Experts Group. This is an alarming increase and one which is set to continue until bosses get the message.

• We found that ‘Menopause’ was mentioned 207 times in tribunals in 2021, up 75% from the 118 mentions in 2020.

• 16 tribunal cases cited disability discrimination in 2021, with ten claiming sex discrimination, and 14 claiming unfair dismissal.

• One claimant who had told her employer she suffering hot flushes due to menopause was reprimanded for undoing her top button when experiencing a hot flush and was told to do it up.

• Two-fifths of menopause employment tribunals were resolved within a month of the hearing, but three cases took more than two years.

• Too many employers without robust menopause policies are risking legal action from workers, warns Dee Murray, CEO of Menopause Experts Group. This simply must change to protect women and prevent legal action that can be costly both financially and in terms of reputation.

28 May 2022 — Employment tribunals involving menopause have increased by 44% year on year, reveals an analysis of court records by Menopause Experts Group in its annual The Trial Of Menopause Report. There were 23 employment tribunals referencing menopause in 2021, compared to 16 in the previous year. ‘Menopause’ was mentioned 207 times in tribunal documents in 2021, an increase of 75% from the 118 mentions in 2020.

The Women and Equalities Committee’s inquiry into menopause and the workplace are likely to be published in the coming weeks and is expected to recommend that employers must have a menopause policy.  

Of the 23 tribunals last year, 16 cited disability discrimination, ten claimed sex discrimination and 14 took the employer to task for unfair dismissal.

Graph: Employment Tribunals Citing Menopause

One employment tribunal in Hull UK heard how a factory worker was reprimanded for undoing her top button, despite having told her employer she suffering hot flushes due to menopause.  

Table: Employment tribunal citing menopause and total ‘menopause’ mentions

Source: HM Courts & Tribunals Service

Two-fifths of menopause employment tribunals were resolved within a month of the hearing, but three cases took more than two years. We are here at Menopause Experts Group calling on employers to offer their employees training about the symptoms, signs, and side effects of menopause. They can access information and arrange a call with us here By nominating menopause champions in the workplace, as volunteers just as we would with mental health, women can then feel safe and secure in the knowledge that someone will have a listening ear and perhaps can signpost them. This will work alongside a robust policy that all employers should be aware of requiring.

Dee Murray, Founder, and CEO at Menopause Experts Group, said: “Employers are starting to get the message about menopause in the workplace, but the growing number of employment tribunals in this area show that there’s still a lot of work to be done.