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Take action today
- Write to your MP to share your experience.
- Ask your employer to join the Endometriosis Friendly Employer Scheme.
One in six women and those assigned female at birth with endometriosis leave the work place due to their condition.
This is unacceptable and it's vital that Governments and employers take action to protect those with endometriosis from unfair practices in the workplace. Nobody should face discrimination at work or risk losing their job because of unfair and discriminatory work practices, and we're determined to work with employers and Governments to ensure this isn't the case.
Conversations around menstrual health in the workplace are improving, thanks to initiatives like Endometriosis UK's Endometriosis Friendly Employer Scheme, but Governments must also take action to ensure measures are put in place to allow those with the disease to thrive at work alongside managing their condition.
The Employment Rights Act
Since February 2026, upgraded employment rights have begun to take effect as part of the Employment Rights Act.
The Government is still consulting on parts of the Act, as part of the Make Work Pay initiative. Endometriosis UK continues to push for change through this agenda to ensure that nobody with endometriosis or menstrual health conditions face discrimination at work.
We have welcomed many changes within the Act, including changes to statutory sick pay, the introduction of the Fair Work Agency, the strengthening of flexible working, and changes to unfair dismissal.
The Government has also introduced measures to support those going through the menopause. From May 2026, employers with 250 or more employees have the option to produce and publish action plans to support employees experiencing menopause, including induced menopause as part of management for menstrual health conditions.
But the Bill must go further to ensure measures are additionally introduced to ensure those with menstrual health conditions including endometriosis have the support and protections they need in the workplace. We want to see these action plans extend to menstrual health conditions including endometriosis.
What Endometriosis UK is calling for
1. Changes to the Employment Rights Act:
Endometriosis UK welcomes the Employment Rights Act as it offers important measures to support those with endometriosis in the workplace. We particularly welcome the introduction of menopause action plans as we know that many with endometriosis may go through the menopause as part of their treatment. It’s vital that the menopause action plans include measures for those who go through the menopause at any point in their life, and that these Action Plans are extended to also cover all those affected by menstrual health conditions.
2. End unfair automated HR attendance systems:
We want to see an end to unfair automated HR attendance systems that penalise those with menstrual health conditions, and risk them facing disciplinary procedures. These often apply a relative weighting to employee absences based on the principle that short, frequent absences have a greater operational impact and are therefore considered worse than longer absences. This sometimes means that employees with endometriosis are being penalised, and in some cases, losing their jobs. We would like to see legislation to ensure workers with menstrual health conditions are treated fairly if they need short but intermittent time off work, as a result of their condition. Menstrual health conditions due to long-term conditions such as endometriosis should not count towards absence triggers.
3. For Government departments to work together to ensure that those with the disease have access to the right care at the right time
It currently takes on average a shocking 9 years and 4 months to get a diagnosis of endometriosis in the UK, rising to 11 years for those from ethnically diverse communities. Departments must work collaboratively to understand the economic impact lost work has on the economy, and the clear case for investment to reduce diagnosis and gynaecological wait times.
4. The Government must ensure appropriate training for occupational health experts, benefit assessors, HR teams and line managers.
5. Work with charities such as Endometriosis UK to encourage employers to sign up to the Endometriosis Friendly Employer Scheme, lunch and learn talks or individual training to ensure that line managers and organisations understand the practical and often simple ways employees can feel supported at work. This can range from practical adjustments such as flexible working to ensuring colleagues have access to a toilet.
