Sharon is a store manager at a busy retail chain. Fifteen years of solid performance, loyal customers and a team that respects her. Six months ago something shifted.
Her concentration isn’t what it was.
She’s exhausted in a way a good night’s sleep doesn’t fix.
She’s been snapping at colleagues she’s worked alongside for years. Her last two performance reviews have slipped.
Her line manager has written in his notes that Sharon seems to have lost interest.
She hasn’t lost interest. She’s going through the menopause.
And nobody has asked.
Menopause is not a protected characteristic in its own right. But the symptoms — exhaustion, anxiety, difficulty concentrating — can amount to a disability under the Equality Act. Dismissing or performance managing someone without understanding what’s actually happening is a significant legal risk.
✅ 3 THINGS SHARON’S MANAGER SHOULD HAVE KNOWN
1. Symptoms can last years and affect performance, attendance and behaviour — without a single conversation, you’re managing the symptom not the cause.
2. Menopause-related dismissal or treatment has led to successful tribunal claims — ignorance is not a defence.
3. A menopause policy protects the employee and the employer — without one you’re exposed on both counts.
At People Vision HR we provide menopause awareness training for managers and help businesses build policies that mean Sharon gets support instead of a performance plan.
Before her line manager writes something in his notes that ends up in a tribunal bundle.