New research has identified a sharp increase in matters coming before Employment Tribunals involving discrimination relating to the menopause.
The number of claims mentioning menopause as evidence of unfair dismissal or direct sex discrimination more than doubled between 2018 and 2020.
The menopause was referenced in five claims in 2018, rising to six in 2019, before a steep rise to 16 in 2020.
Already this year, there have been 10 menopause-related claims, meaning the trend shows no sign of slowing down.
The research was carried out by the campaign group, Menopause Experts, and comes as the number of women in the workforce aged 50 to 64 continues to grow rapidly given an increase in retirement ages, with 4.5 million now in employment.
Dee Murray, Founder and Chief Executive at Menopause Experts, said: “I can see that this will carry on building until such time as there are some really big, group lawsuits, which I’m sure there will be.
“The women in a lot of the big companies are already setting up their own private, internal menopause support groups. If they decide their issues are not supported by HR, you could potentially have a real problem.”
Samantha Randall, an Associate Solicitor with Palmers, who specialise in employment law and tribunals, said: “As this latest research illustrates, the number of tribunal claims from women who feel they have been unfairly discriminated against as a result of going through the menopause, is on the rise.
“The majority of employment disputes are first referred to Acas with a view to resolving the issue through their Early Conciliation Process, in order to avoid the matter escalating to a full Employment Tribunal hearing.
“If you feel that you have been unfairly discriminated against it is important to seek legal advice. We can explain the process of seeking help through Acas and also provide you with a range of legal options in the event that you need to take matters further.”
For more information about all aspects of employment law including making an allegation of workplace discrimination, please get in touch with us.