Someone on your team used to be unflappable, then suddenly they’re overheated, not sleeping, forgetting things, snapping over tiny issues, and quietly losing confidence. Many managers read that as performance or attitude. We see it for what it often is: perimenopause showing up at work, in a culture that still makes the topic feel awkward to name.

We get practical about menopause at work for small businesses and HR teams. We talk through what symptoms can look like day to day, why “quiet menopause” is the riskiest version for employers, and how a simple check-in can open the door without assumptions or embarrassment. We also unpack what’s changing in the UK, including the Equality Act 2010, the EHRC guidance on menopause, and the direction of travel under the Employment Rights Act 2025, which is making support a clear expectation rather than optional good behaviour.

You’ll leave with a clear, low-cost plan: a one-page menopause-aware policy, a manager conversation script, and reasonable adjustments that genuinely help such as flexible starts after a bad night, time for medical appointments, cooler uniforms, fans, and better room choices. We also flag the hidden trap in many absence policies, where menopause-related sickness triggers warnings and creates avoidable discrimination risk.

If you want to keep brilliant people and run a fair workplace, this is your nudge to start now. Subscribe so you never miss an episode, share it with a fellow small business owner, and leave a quick review to help more managers find it.

If you’re not 100% sure how your HR is really holding up, take our free HR Health Check. It’s short, jargon-free, and gives you a clear score on what’s working — and what needs a bit of love.

And if you do it before 1st April 2026, you’ll get a bonus 7 Pillar Strategy-on-a-Page, tailored to help you manage HR brilliantly for the year ahead. That’s it for today, but if you fancy a bit of friendly HR advice in your inbox (with zero waffle), come and join our newsletter.

We send out bite-sized tips, plain-English updates, and handy things you’ll actually use — no spam, no fluff.

You can sign up here 

If you're not sure how your HR is really holding up, take the free HR Health Check. It's short, jargon-free, and gives you a clear score on what's working and what could do with a bit of love.

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe so you never miss one, and leave a review if you've got thirty seconds. It honestly does help more small business owners find the show, and it's the cheapest good deed you'll do all week.

Got a question or need actual HR support? Find Kate at kateunderwoodhr.co.uk, email [email protected], or follow along on social.

Until next time, keep buzzing, and take care of your people.