Illinois to Require Menopause Accommodations
Author: Emily Scace, Brightmine Senior Legal Editor
August 14, 2026
Illinois will soon join the list of jurisdictions to add employment discrimination protections and accommodation requirements for menopause and related conditions. Gov. Jay Pritzker recently signed H.B. 5284, the Illinois Menopause Equity and Care Act, which takes effect January 1, 2027.
H.B. 5284 amends the Illinois Human Rights Act (IHRA) - the state's antidiscrimination law - to add menopause and related conditions as prohibited grounds for discrimination. The IHRA applies to any employer with at least one employee in Illinois for 20 or more weeks in a calendar year, with exceptions for certain religious organizations.
Menopause-related condition means menopause, perimenopause and associated medical or symptomatic conditions including but not limited to:
- Vasomotor symptoms (e.g., hot flashes);
- Sleep disruption;
- Cognitive or mood changes; and
- Osteoporosis-related changes.
In addition to the discrimination protections, employers will be required to provide reasonable accommodations for menopause-related conditions unless an accommodation would result in undue hardship. Examples of menopause-specific accommodations include flexible scheduling or modified work hours, or temperature- or climate-adjusted workspaces.
The law also adds various health insurance coverage requirements for menopause, perimenopause and related conditions that will apply to group and individual health plans. The insurance coverage provisions take effect January 1, 2028.
Rhode Island and Philadelphia have also enacted menopause discrimination protections and accommodation requirements.