The government has rejected calls for a trial of menopause leave for women, claiming that it could cause discrimination against men with long-term medical conditions.

Ministers also rejected a recommendation to make menopause a protected characteristic under the Equalities Act.

Caroline Nokes, chair of the women and equalities committee – which submitted 12 recommendations aimed at giving working women more rights in a report last July – accused the government of a “complacent” response.

The Tory MP added that the government had ignored a “significant evidence base” that the menopause should be a protected characteristic.

A survey last year found one in 10 women who worked during the menopause had left a job due to their symptoms, while others had reduced their hours, gone part-time, or not applied for promotion.

The government rejected five of the committee’s suggestions on Tuesday, arguing that the proposal for a menopause leave policy would be “counterproductive” and that it was also wary of creating “discrimination risks towards men suffering from long-term medical conditions, or eroding existing protections”.

The government said: “We are focusing our efforts on disseminating best practice and encouraging employers to implement workplace menopause policies and other forms of support such as flexible working, which can play a vital role in supporting people to remain in work.”

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Ms Nokes’ letter to health minister Maria Caulfield called it a “missed opportunity to protect vast numbers of talented and experienced women from leaving the workforce, and leaves me unconvinced that menopause is a government priority”.

She said there should be “urgent action” to address women’s needs, but progress has been “glacial” and the government’s response has been “complacent”.

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A government spokesperson added that it recognised the challenge menopause poses for women and that the first-ever women’s health strategy in England shows women’s health “is at the top of the agenda”.

They urged employers to be “compassionate and flexible” to workers’ needs and said the government supported “making flexible working the default” and was committed to reducing the cost of HRT prescriptions.

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