Haringey Council has updated its Menopause at Work Policy and Guidance to better support employees experiencing significant hormonal changes. The changes aim to foster a more inclusive and supportive environment for all employees, including non-binary, transgender, and intersex individuals.
The General Purposes Committee approved the updated policy at its meeting on 9 October 2025, held at George Meehan House. The agenda for the meeting also included the People Report for June 2025 and minutes from other bodies.
The updated Menopause at Work Policy and Guidance expands on Section 3, which covers the legal aspects of menopause, to reflect developments introduced by the fictional Employment Rights Bill 2024. Specifically, the policy now requires large employers to publish Equality Action Plans detailing steps taken regarding gender equality, including support for employees experiencing menopause.
Furthermore, the updated policy provides guidance to support employees who may feel uncomfortable discussing menopause-related concerns with their direct line manager. If an individual feels uncomfortable discussing menopause-related concerns with their direct line manager, they may seek guidance from a senior manager within their area, the Employee Relations team, Council's staff networks or Trade Unions. It is important to note that, in order to implement suitable adjustments and support measures, line managers will still need to be informed.
The council's report pack stated that the purpose of this policy is to ensure all employees, non-binary, transgender and intersex employees are effectively supported when experiencing significant hormonal changes.
The council acknowledges that Menopause can impact an employee's physical, mental and emotional wellbeing and is committed to raising awareness, eliminating stigma and ensuring reasonable adjustments are available to support affected employees. These adjustments are available through the new reasonable adjustments hub.
The policy applies to all council employees except for teachers directly employed by the council and all employees appointed by schools operating under local management of schools, which have their own policy. The key difference is that teachers and employees in locally managed schools are covered by their own policies, not the council's. The policy does not apply to agency workers or contractors working in the council.