Erika Collins Discusses Efforts to Add Menopause Protections to Workplace Protections With International Employment Lawyer

In the article, “Support for women undergoing menopause still lacking, studies show” labor and employment partner Erika Collins commented on the failing of anti-discrimination laws to protect female employees undergoing menopause with International Employment Lawyer. 

According to the publication, only one-in-twenty businesses in the United States currently offer menopause support. Collins noted that U.S. anti-discrimination laws don’t explicitly mention menopause, but symptoms of menopause and perimenopause often fall under the protections of employment law. For example, Collins said that derogatory comments about a female employee’s hot flashes or criticizing a mistake as a “menopausal moment” are clear-cut examples of intersectional harassment. 

“Managers need to be sensitized to the symptoms of menopause and perimenopause and understand the challenges these conditions present to employees,” Collins noted. “HR professionals need to be trained to engage in an ‘interactive process’ with employees, as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act, to identify what could be a ‘reasonable accommodation’ for menopause-related symptoms.”