Proposed Federal Law Enhances Safeguards for Women Experiencing Menopause
U.S. Representatives Yvette Clarke (D-NY) and Debbie Dingell (D-MI) introduced a proposed law in July that would potentially increase workplace protections for women facing menopause. Clarke and Dingell noted, in introducing the statute, that the general workforce continues to age and that many women are working later into their lives. Without specific laws to address the impact of menopause, they fear that American companies could lose billions of dollars every year to absenteeism, lost productivity and loss of key talent.
The Basic Provisions of the Menopausal Workers’ Fairness Act
The bill drafted by Clarke and Dingell seeks to:
- Guarantee women the right to request reasonable accommodations to deal with or respond to known limitations caused by or arising out of menopause
- Prevent discrimination in the workplace based on a woman’s challenges while experiencing menopause
- Make it illegal for an employer tom compel a female employee to take leave or concede to an accommodation because of menopause
- Mandate confidentiality of all medical information related to an employee’s challenges with menopause
- Require that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission prepare and issue regulations to guide employers, including examples of known limitations, reasonable accommodations and when reasonable accommodations may be necessary
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