Workplace Rules: Philadelphia Passes Menopause Accommodation Law

Starting January 1, 2027, Philadelphia employers will face new requirements to support workers dealing with hormonal changes. A new provision in the City’s Fair Practice Ordinance mandates reasonable workplace accommodations for symptoms related to menopause, perimenopause, and menstruation. This rule applies to all employers within the city limits.

City Councilmember Nina Ahmad proposed the measure in November 2025 as Resolution 251004. Mayor Cherelle Parker signed the provision shortly after its proposal. The bill returned to City Council in late October 2026, where it passed final approval. The law closes a gap in existing protections, which currently cover disabilities and pregnancy but do not explicitly address menopausal symptoms.

The legislation responds to documented economic impacts of untreated symptoms. A 2023 Mayo Clinic study found that lost time due to menopause costs $1.8 billion annually, with medical expenses reaching $26.6 billion. Another study by the women’s healthcare platform Maven indicates that 17 percent of women consider quitting their jobs because of these symptoms. Additionally, 11 percent of symptomatic women aged 45 to 60 report missing work due to health issues.

Reproductive psychiatrist Sheila Shanmugan at the Penn Center for Women’s Behavioral Wellness noted that symptoms often lead to a lack of focus and what she described as "silly mistakes." These physical and mental hurdles can create an economic disadvantage for affected women. The new rules aim to reduce these barriers by making accommodation a legal right rather than a discretionary benefit.

Philadelphia joins a growing list of jurisdictions addressing this issue. Rhode Island, Illinois, and Connecticut have already instituted similar protections. In the United Kingdom, a mandate requiring companies with 250 or more employees to create action plans for menopausal workers begins in spring 2027. New York City launched a Department of Women’s Health in 2023, and state legislators in Albany are currently reviewing bills related to menopause in the workplace.

The federal government has also moved in this direction. President Trump signed an executive order in October 2026 to establish a Women’s Health Division within the National Institutes of Health. This division will focus on menopause and perimenopause, with a mandate to begin operations within 90 days. The initiative follows a previous White House effort led by First Lady Jill Biden, which highlighted the research gap in women’s health.