Equality Action Plans
Equality Action Plans and Fertility: 2027 Employer Guide
Subject to legislation, Equality Action Plans (GEAPs) become mandatory for UK employers with 250 or more employees from spring 2027.
- The law prescribes action on the gender pay gap and menopause support
- Fertility is not a required topic
- That is exactly why extending your plan to it sets you apart. Here is how.
Published 17 June 2026
The duty
What Is an Equality Action Plan?
An Equality Action Plan, often called a Gender Equality Action Plan or GEAP, is a duty introduced by the Employment Rights Act 2025.
Employers with 250 or more employees, the same group that already reports its gender pay gap, must publish one.
Plans are voluntary from April 2026 and, subject to legislation, become mandatory from spring 2027.
In short
- The law prescribes two areas: action on the gender pay gap, and support for employees going through the menopause.
Government guidance encourages employers to go beyond the minimum.
Fertility support is the most natural place to start.
Treatment affects the same workforce the plan is designed to protect.
And the support cannot simply be asserted: it needs to be evidenced.
For the statutory menopause side of a plan, the Hormonal Health Equity Initiative covers what a credible plan requires.
Voluntary extension
Extending Your Plan to Fertility: What Good Looks Like
A written policy alone is not enough.
A fertility commitment in your plan is only credible if you can show the support actually reached employees, which means data.
- A written fertility and reproductive health policy
- Reasonable adjustment commitment for appointments and treatment side effects
- A voluntary disclosure process with confidentiality protections
- An Occupational Health referral pathway
- Aggregate data on how treatment is affecting employee wellbeing and work ability
The evidence layer
How OccuFertility Helps
Employee Side
Structured check-in (PHQ-4 + WAI-1), GP summary, manager brief, OH referral template.
Employees own their data and decide what to share.
Employer Side
Anonymised group reporting: uptake, quarterly work ability and work impact bands, and an ESG summary.
No individual data, no mood scores.
Shown once 250 people have used the service, with at least 50 people behind every figure.
Gives employers the evidence layer if they extend an Equality Action Plan to fertility.
Policy Support
The Workplace Fertility Check walks HR teams through the elements a good fertility policy needs.
That includes the components relevant to a voluntary fertility extension of an Equality Action Plan.