New data show that there were five tribunals that detailed the claimant’s menopause in 2018, six in 2019 and 16 in 2020. This year has already seen 10.

“I can see that this will carry on building until such time as there are some really big, group lawsuits, which I’m sure there will be,” said Dee Murray, the founder and chief executive of Menopause Experts, which carried out the research. 

“The women in a lot of the big companies are already setting up their own private, internal menopause support groups. If they decide their issues are not supported by HR, you could potentially have a real problem.”

Women aged 50 to 64 are the fastest growing, economically active group in Britain. Of the 70 per cent of women in employment, almost 4.5 million are in this age bracket. 

One tribunal heard how Aggie Kownacka was told by her boss – a woman – that it was “no big deal” to face menopause at the age of 37 and no longer be able to conceive. The comments amounted to harassment but not discrimination, the judge held.

Ms Murray said: “We hear horror stories about how women are discriminated against in the workforce. Sadly menopause is one area where employers keep getting it wrong.

“This dramatic rise in the number of employment tribunals citing menopause shows how women are standing up for themselves against outdated and ill-informed bosses.”