"Hello, I'm Kathleen Ditchfield.  I spent 23 years working with people who were in need, vulnerable and had disabilities.   Work which I found deeply rewarding.   I was employed by a globally recognised London Corporation in 2021 and a year prior to this I started to experience perimenopause symptoms.  "Over 4 years ago a number of my perimenopause symptoms started impacting on my everyday life, namely my concentration and memory, sleep and caused anxiety and depression."

At the beginning of 2024, my GP signed me off on long term sick leave and after receiving the medical and therapeutic treatment I needed, I was able to return to work.  "Leading up to my sick leave and when I tried to return to work, I had to contend with discrimination, harassment, victimisation, along with my requests for reasonable adjustments, that were appropriate for me, being ignored.  Despite my efforts to resolve this internally, what I experienced from my employer had a devastating impact on my life and mental health.  Their treatment of me made my perimenopause symptoms so much worse.  If they had been balanced, listened to me and provided me with appropriate reasonable adjustments, I would have returned to work and been a productive and experienced employee.  Instead, I was pushed into a situation, where I had to protect my mental health.  Which meant I had no choice but to give notice.”   I raised a formal grievance and then decided to take legal action and submitted a number of claims to the Employment Tribunal.  To uphold my rights under the Equalities Act 2010, where menopause symptoms can amount to a disability.

There have been repeated delays and issues relating to documents needed by the Employment Tribunal, there have been 2 preliminary hearings and the final hearing has been rescheduled to a later date in November 2026.  "A year after giving notice and starting my legal case my husband was made redundant. Currently neither of us are in employment and I have used all my savings to cover my legal cost to date.  I believe in the justice of my claims, but the legal proceedings are expensive and stressful, so I would be sincerely grateful for any financial contribution and for this page to be shared far and wide."

There have been many experiences I have had with my ex-employer that have made me angry, and I have used this anger to help motivate me.  But even more so, "I have had to endure so much distress and hurt, caused by my ex-employer, while trying to cope with the most horrendous perimenopause symptoms.  I believe it is completely unacceptable that an employer inflicted so much harm and for them to have taken so much from me when I have been at my most vulnerable."   

I have spent all my working life helping and supporting people to have better, safer and more secure lives.  I still believe in this and I continue to hope for this for myself.  I also believe other women (and their families) who are being adversely affected by perimenopause and menopause, and have subsequently been discriminated against, are entitled to justice and protection. "I want justice and to help bring about awareness so that what happened to me does not happen to other women."

Due to my limited finances I have been doing the majority of the basic work on my case, with a solicitor and barrister giving me legal advice and guidance.  "On the 18th May 2026 the witness statements will be exchanged.   These are extremely important documents and I need to pay for legal guidance and advice relating to them."   I need to raise approximately £3000.00 to help pay for legal costs for advice on my witness statement and to review the other witness statements when they are exchanged.  Along with legal advice and guidance to try and seek a fair and reasonable settlement.  If this case does go to hearing, I may need double this amount.   With this in mind, I will be giving regular updates on this platform to keep you informed of what is happening.

I also wish to acknowledge that you (the person reading my page) may be going through something similar yourself or know a family or women who is being adversely affected by perimenopause and menopause, and their employer is not recognising their disability and their rights under the Equalities Act.  With this in mind, please share my story and gently encourage them to seek good advice.  A good place to start is to look at the ACAS website, to talk with your Union and Occupational Health.  

Finally, "to anyone who takes the time to read this, thank you.  If you choose to donate, even a small amount then I will be deeply grateful."  Any help, no matter how small or large will make a real difference.