One in 10 women have been forced to leave their job due to severe menopause symptoms.

Under its workers’ rights bill, the Government plans to introduce legislation encouraging large firms to give employees going through the menopause more flexibility.

It has been mooted by some that making “menopause leave’” – specific time off to manage symptoms – a legal right would also be beneficial, while others are concerned it would alienate older women from the workplace.

So should “menopause leave” be a legal right? Julie Burchill, Lucy Mangan and Dr Marilena Nou offer their perspectives.

Let’s cut to the chase. Let’s imagine that every man at around the age of 50 gets a non-life-threatening health condition, just as a natural part of ageing.

It will have been this way since time immemorial. It is common knowledge in society that every male person will undergo this change. You cannot call it a surprise to anyone individually or to any system or institution.

For some men,

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