In our regular column, JMW Solicitors covers bus drivers being caught speeding on the job, and menopause action plans
One of our drivers was caught speeding in one of our buses. They completed an awareness course but did not receive a fine or any penalty points. Are we required to notify the Traffic Commissioner?
The short answer is “no”.
An awareness course is usually offered as an alternative to a fine and penalty points. While this is most common for speeding offences, it may also be offered for other offences, including using a mobile phone while driving.
Completion of an awareness course for a matter such as speeding is not a conviction and is not a matter that coach and bus operators are required to notify to the Traffic Commissioner.
You may choose to voluntarily notify such matters; however, you should exercise caution when it comes to reporting and voluntarily disclosing driver details – i.e. personal data for the purposes of General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) – when there is no legal obligation for you to do so – as is the case here. This needs wider and careful consideration as there are potential GDPR implications arising from such a disclosure.
This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t deal with the misconduct internally, through an internal investigation that may result in training and/or possible disciplinary action.
You may also be required to notify your insurer. This will depend on the terms of your policy.
What are menopause action plans and what are my obligations?
The Employment Rights Act 2026 introduces a new power enabling employers to be required to publish action plans setting out how they will support employees experiencing menopause in the workplace.
In simple terms, a menopause action plan is a practical, people-focused document that sets out how an employer will support workers going through menopause. This might include things like:
- raising awareness and reducing stigma
- training managers so they know how to have supportive conversations with women experiencing menopause or menopause-related symptoms
- reviewing workplace adjustments (for example, temperature, uniforms, or flexible working)
- making it clear where employees can turn for help
The government has produced guidance to help employers get started.
No two workplaces are the same, and the most effective menopause action plans are often those shaped by open, honest conversations with staff.
Engaging employees helps employers understand the real challenges people are facing, identify barriers to support, and develop measures that are genuinely useful rather than purely symbolic. Involving staff from the outset can also help build trust, reduce stigma, and ensure the action plan reflects lived experience rather than assumptions.
Since 6 April, menopause action plans have been a voluntary measure for employers with more than 250 employees. However, from 2027, they are expected to become mandatory, signalling a clear shift towards greater accountability and transparency in how menopause is addressed in the workplace.
On 7 April, Mariella Frostrup was appointed as the government’s Women’s Employment Ambassador. This newly created role expands on her previous work as Menopause Employment Ambassador.
Working closely with employers across the country, Ms Frostrup’s focus will be on raising awareness of key health issues affecting women, including menopause, and ensuring those issues no longer push talented, experienced workers out of the labour market.
This push forms part of a wider effort to tackle a worrying trend: the growing number of women who are economically inactive due to long-term sickness. At present, this figure sits at a near-record 1.48 million.
Menopause symptoms play a significant role in this, often silently, with many women reducing their hours or leaving work altogether rather than asking for support.
The message from government is clear: women’s health in the workplace is no longer a taboo topic to tiptoe around. Employers are being encouraged and soon will be legally required to take meaningful, visible steps to support women in their workforce.
For organisations willing to engage with this proactively, menopause action plans aren’t just about compliance. They’re about retention, wellbeing, and creating workplaces where people can thrive at every stage of life.
[Answers by JMW Solicitors Laura Hadzik, Partner; and Laura Wharton, Partner]
