On the 13th May 2026 the Government updated their guidelines for creating an action plan for menopause and gender pay gap which was originally published 4 March 2026.
So I sat with a cuppa and a Hobnob (or three) and checked the updates out.
The information below is taken directly from the Government website and I’ve included the useful links for you.
The 6-step guidance on creating your menopause and gender pay gap action plans
The updated 6-step guidance walks employers through a full process for creating and submitting their action plan on the gender pay gap service, where published plans will be available to the public alongside gender pay gap data.
Step1. Understanding the issues in your organisation
Analyse pay gap data and your employee experience.
Analyse your data to find the causes of your gender pay gap, and engage with employees to understand how they may be impacted by menopause at work.
Doing this analysis is an effective first step to create an action plan that works. It will help you choose the best actions to close the gap and support your staff.
Read more here
Step 2. Choose your actions
Choose from the 18 recommended, evidence-informed actions across five categories:
- Recruiting staff
- Developing and promoting staff
- Building diversity into the organisation
- Increasing transparency
- Supporting employees experiencing menopause.
Employers must select at least 2 actions: One addressing the gender pay gap and one supporting employees experiencing menopause.
The guidance also clarifies that for each action selected, employers must indicate whether it is ‘new or in progress’ (being worked on for the first time or building on something already underway) or ‘embedded’ (already an established part of working practice).
Read more here
Step 3. Write your supporting narrative
When you submit your action plan, you will be asked to add:
- Supporting text for each action
- A supporting narrative for your overall action plan
Your supporting narrative will be published alongside the data you report on the gender pay gap service. It can help people understand the underlying factors which may impact data, and provide context.
Read more here
Step 4. Submit your action plan
Sign in to the gender pay gap service when you’re ready to submit your action plan. You can save and edit later if you are not ready to submit it.
(Note: Only mandatory for organisations with 250+ employees from 2027. There are currently no mandatory requirements for smaller companies to publish or submit these action plans, although all employers can choose to do so voluntarily).
Before you start make sure you have:
- Chosen your actions
- Written your supporting narrative
- Selected a ‘responsible person’ responsible for approving your plan.
Read more here
Step 5. Track outcomes of your action
Measuring and monitoring progress allows you to:
- Produce a set of metrics before you start an action (‘baseline’)
- Track changes after you start
This helps you understand whether your actions are working and if you are making progress toward your goals.
When you take action, you should test if progress is happening as intended.
Monitoring is a way to gather information to track progress towards your objectives.
Read more here
Step 6. Review your plan
After action plans become mandatory, you will need to review and update your action plan every reporting year. This ensures it evolves over time.
(At the moment these plans are only mandatory for organisations with 250+ employees).
The details of what you will be required to do at the review stages is subject to legislation. Based on current plans, you will need to do an interim progress review 1 year and 2 years after submitting your mandatory action plan. At this point you will be asked questions about progress on your plan as a whole.
You will then need to do a more detailed review 3 years after submitting your mandatory action plan. At this point you will be asked questions about progress on each action in your plan. These reviews could be done at the same time as submitting your gender pay gap figures.
Read more here
Where can I find an overview of the updated menopause and gender pay action plan guidance?
An overview of the guidance for employers on creating an action plan to reduce your gender pay gap and support employees experiencing menopause can be found here
Background context
The Employment Rights Act 2025 introduced Equality Action Plans (including Menopause Action Plans) on a voluntary basis from 6 April 2026, becoming mandatory for employers with 250+ employees from 2027.
Key Dates for Menopause Action Plans
|
6 April 2026 |
Voluntary Equality Action Plans (including Menopause Action Plans) go live |
|
30 March 2027 |
Deadline for voluntary submission for most public authority employers |
|
4 April 2027 |
Deadline for voluntary submission for private, voluntary and other public authority employers |
|
Spring 2027 |
Mandatory for employers with 250+ employees (subject to secondary legislation) |
Specific implementation dates are subject to government guidance. Always seek up-to-date legal advice for your organisation.
I’m Tracey Tait, and I help workplaces turn uncomfortable silence into meaningful support for a fraction of what inaction is already costing them.
Want to talk about how I can help your organisation? Book your call with me.
Want to know more about menopause action plans for your workplace?
Here’s some further reading.
What you can include in your menopause action plan template: Checklist
