10 April 2026
The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) has made an announcement that Mariella Frostrup, a leading women’s health campaigner and broadcaster, has been appointed as the Government’s Women's Employment Ambassador, a newly created role designed to support working women across the country.
As part of the Government’s ongoing workplace health drive, large businesses with 250 or more employees are being encouraged to produce and publish voluntary action plans outlining how they will support employees experiencing menopause symptoms in the workplace. From Spring 2026, employers of this size will have the option to publish a voluntary action plan alongside their Gender Pay Gap (GPG) report, but these plans are set to become mandatory from spring 2027.
These action plans form part of the Employment Rights Act 2025, which will boost employment, improve job security for over 18 million workers, and better support women balancing health, caring responsibilities and careers.
Frostrup previously led the launch of the Menopause Advisory Group, working with hundreds of employers to improve workplace support for women experiencing menopause symptoms. The Government highlights that stronger support is essential to reducing the £1.7 billion lost each year through sick leave, reduced productivity and women leaving the workforce. It also emphasises the importance of raising awareness among employers and employees of the health conditions that significantly affect women’s working lives, including menopause, endometriosis, fibroids and other chronic gynaecological conditions, and of normalising open discussions of these issues while promoting good practice in workplace policies, culture and line management.
Employers will need to create, submit and publish their action plans through the Gender Pay Gap Service, where they will be publicly available alongside GPG data.
Action plans will show the steps you are taking to:
- Address your organisation’s gender pay gap.
- Support employees experiencing menopause.
Businesses can also use the plans to highlight the work they are already doing to strengthen gender equality in the workplace.
Further evidence-informed actions to help reduce gender pay gaps and support employees are available at the Government’s guidance page: Action plans: list of actions - GOV.UK
Source for statistics used can be found here Menopause in the workplace: Employee experiences in 2023
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