Philadelphia has rewritten its anti-discrimination rules to cover something workplaces have rarely addressed directly: periods and menopause. The city amended its Fair Practices Ordinance so that menstruation, perimenopause and menopause now count as protected categories, meaning employers will soon have to accommodate workers whose symptoms interfere with their jobs.
City Council approved the change on November 20, 2025, according to disabilityleavelaw.com, which reports the council voted to prohibit discrimination against employees based on those three conditions. The new requirements do not take effect immediately. Multiple outlets report the accommodation mandate kicks in on January 1, 2027, per HR Morning, which notes the Philadelphia measure takes effect the same day as a comparable Illinois law.
FOX 29 Philadelphia covered the shift this week, with anchors Alex and Jason speaking to attorney Amy Feldman and OB-GYN Dr. Robyn Faye about what the new law means for workers and employers. Feldman broke down the legal mechanics of the ordinance, while Faye, who practices at Jefferson Abington Hospital and specializes in menopause and sexual health according to The Inquirer, discussed the health side of the conversation, according to FOX 29 Philadelphia.
What Employers Will Be Required To Do
Once the law takes effect, Philadelphia employers must provide reasonable accommodations upon request when symptoms substantially interfere with an employee's job functions, unless doing so would cause undue hardship, the disability leave law site reports. HR Morning lists examples cited in coverage of the new rules, including flexible scheduling, access to a temperature-controlled environment, additional or extended breaks, and temporary modifications of job duties. Those are described as potential accommodations rather than a fixed checklist employers must apply in every case.
The ordinance is notably broad in who it covers. The Inquirer reports there is no general small-business exemption, and the rules generally impact employers with as few as one employee. The amendment also expressly prohibits retaliation against employees for exercising their right to request accommodations, the same Inquirer report notes.
A Distinct Approach Among US Cities
Philadelphia's ordinance stands out for how it frames the three conditions. The Inquirer describes the city's distinctive feature as explicit coverage of menstruation, perimenopause and menopause without requiring a connection to pregnancy. The disability leave law site goes further, calling Philadelphia the first major American city to include all three among its list of protected classes.
Philadelphia is not acting alone. Rhode Island became the first state to pass a law requiring workplace protections for employees experiencing menopause, adopting the measure in June 2025 to require accommodations for job applicants and employees, according to the same disability leave law report. Illinois followed when Gov. JB Pritzker signed the Menopause Equity and Care Act on August 7, 2026, per HR Morning. Ogletree Deakins, a law firm tracking workplace policy, notes that a growing number of states and localities are passing laws addressing menopause and perimenopause in the workplace.
Why Workplace Advocates Are Watching Symptoms Closely
The push for these protections is grounded in research on how menopause symptoms affect people on the job. The Menopause Society's 2024 consensus recommendations state that symptoms have been linked to a compromised ability to work, reduced productivity, absenteeism, and even loss of employment or an early exit from the workforce. The same report cites a study of 4,440 employed midlife women that found a 13% rate of adverse work outcomes among those with bothersome menopause symptoms.
The Menopause Society recommends employers consider accommodations such as additional breaks, flexible scheduling, hybrid or remote work, or temperature-control options — a list that overlaps closely with the examples cited for Philadelphia's new ordinance. The organization's report also notes that the U.S. Department of Labor held a roundtable in July 2023 specifically examining menopause's effects on women workers and potential policy steps.
For now, Philadelphia employers have roughly two months before the accommodation requirements take hold. Attorneys quoted in coverage of the ordinance have framed the lead time as a window for businesses to review policies and prepare, even as the city joins a short but growing list of jurisdictions treating menopause as a workplace issue rather than a private one.
