Perimenopause Sick Pay Rights in the UK: What You Are Entitled to Know
Can you take sick leave for perimenopause symptoms in the UK? Understand your rights around sick pay, reasonable adjustments, and employment law protections.
Can Perimenopause Qualify as a Reason for Sick Leave?
Yes. Perimenopause is a medical condition with recognised symptoms, and those symptoms can be severe enough to prevent you from working on particular days. Taking sick leave for perimenopause-related symptoms is no different from taking sick leave for any other health condition. You are entitled to your employer's standard sick pay provisions, whether that is Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) or an enhanced contractual sick pay scheme. You do not need a specific diagnosis of perimenopause to access sick leave. A note from your GP describing relevant symptoms is sufficient. What matters is whether you are genuinely unable to work, not whether your condition has a particular label.
Statutory Sick Pay and How It Works
Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) is the minimum sick pay entitlement in the UK. As of 2025, SSP is paid at a flat rate by your employer after three consecutive days of sickness absence. You must earn above the Lower Earnings Limit (currently set by HMRC) to qualify, and SSP is paid for up to 28 weeks. Many employers offer contractual sick pay that is more generous than SSP, providing full or partial pay for an extended period. Check your employment contract or staff handbook for your employer's specific scheme. If your perimenopause symptoms are causing repeated short-term absences rather than extended periods off, your employer may need to consider whether a different approach to managing that absence is appropriate given the underlying health condition.
Perimenopause and the Equality Act 2010
The Equality Act 2010 provides important protections for women with perimenopause symptoms. If your symptoms are severe and long-lasting enough to substantially affect your ability to carry out day-to-day activities, they may meet the legal definition of a disability under the Act. This does not require a formal disability claim. What it means in practice is that your employer has a legal duty to consider reasonable adjustments to support you at work. It also means that using your sickness absence record in a way that disadvantages you because of perimenopause-related absences could constitute disability discrimination. Employment tribunals have upheld this position in multiple cases.
Managing Sickness Absence Records Fairly
Many employers use absence trigger points, such as the Bradford Factor, to flag employees with high short-term absence rates. If your perimenopause symptoms are causing frequent brief absences, you may be concerned about reaching these trigger points and facing a formal absence review. You have the right to ask your employer to consider your perimenopause symptoms as context for your absence record. Asking your GP for a letter explaining that your absences are linked to a health condition, and that treatment is being pursued, provides evidence to support any conversation with HR. Employers are expected to apply absence management procedures fairly, taking health context into account.
Having the Conversation with Your Employer
Disclosing perimenopause to your employer is a personal decision. You are not legally required to share your diagnosis, but disclosure often opens the door to support that would not otherwise be offered. A straightforward conversation with your line manager or HR, explaining that you have a health condition affecting your attendance and performance, and that you are seeking medical advice, is usually enough to trigger a discussion about adjustments. You can request a referral to occupational health for an independent assessment if your employer has this facility. Occupational health reports carry significant weight in absence management conversations and can formalise recommendations for reasonable adjustments.
Practical Steps to Protect Yourself
Keep records of any conversations with your employer about your health, including dates, what was discussed, and any agreements made. If your employer treats your perimenopause-related absence unfairly, documentation is your protection. Seek medical support early: a GP who is knowledgeable about perimenopause can provide the letters and referrals that make employer conversations more concrete. If you are a member of a trade union, your union representative can advise on your specific rights and attend meetings with you. Organisations such as ACAS provide free guidance on employment rights, and the Menopause in the Workplace guidance published by ACAS is publicly available and worth reading.
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