Allyship in menopause
I’ve always believed in fostering an inclusive and supportive workplace, and through the wellbeing support we offer to our people across our Group, I’ve come to understand that supporting and understanding menopause is a key part of this commitment.
I’m really proud that our efforts in this area have been so widely recognised. Most recently, we became the first UK company to be reaccredited as ‘menopause friendly’. Our award-winning menopause programme has helped us build an environment where colleagues can thrive through the menopause.
Looking back, this initiative has grown a lot over the last six years. From small beginnings, something powerful has emerged. What started with ten menopause champions willing to share their experiences and support others, our ‘Hot Topic’ initiative is now an impressive 100+ strong community of colleagues who share information and offer regular peer-to-peer support.
We also host monthly ‘The Sofa Sessions,’ where experts come in as guest speakers to talk about topics like nutrition, exercise, sleep and stress management, with time for Q&As and sharing experiences.
But it’s not just about colleagues experiencing the menopause who we’re reaching. The Aster Way, our shared understanding of the way we work, and our Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Principles support us in creating a fair and inclusive culture for all. Against this backdrop, our menopause programme cannot be one dimensional. We recognise that, as well as supporting colleagues experiencing the menopause, we also need to foster a culture of education and awareness company-wide.
All our colleagues can be menopause allies. Our D&I Colleague Networks are a great way for our people to come together and help us drive forward inclusivity initiatives. These Networks - Race and Heritage, Gender, LGBTQ+, EnAble- Disability and Carers, are all welcoming, safe spaces which can really help to drive change.
We all have an important role in supporting women at work and home. Based on feedback from our male colleagues who wanted to be better informed, we ran a pilot programme called ‘Pause for Men.’ These sessions helped our teams understand menopause better and how it might affect their colleagues and loved ones. We also run sofa sessions on menopause with speakers who can talk to our colleagues about being allies and providing support. I’m looking forward to a session we’re holding next week with Niki Woods, author of The Men’s Guide to Menopause. A positive by-product is that learning more about women’s health can often lead men to take notice of their own health and seek support.
Reflecting our customer base, our business is incredibly diverse and whether someone is a frontline tradesperson or in a Group Service role such as Finance, our menopause programme also focuses on helping all colleagues to see they have a role to play too. We’ve worked hard to remove the stigma so they can be effective, supportive colleagues – something we’ll be incorporating in the menopause awareness training we’ll soon roll out to all our leaders.
Menopause is often seen as a women’s issue, but I’ve learned its impact goes far beyond that. It’s about creating an environment where everyone feels understood and supported. By educating ourselves and showing empathy, we can make sure our colleagues going through menopause feel valued and respected. This journey has taught me that menopause allyship is about fostering a culture of care and understanding for all. We still have work to do, but with 82% of colleagues saying menopausal symptoms have impacted their work and 84% satisfied with the support provided, I know we’re on the right path.
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