It shouldn’t come as a surprise to hear that I firmly believe any and every organisation will benefit from being more menopause savvy.
But what does this mean?
And how can your workplace become somewhere that menopause is no longer taboo?
Becoming menopause savvy simply means making sure that menopause is part of the conversation, part of policy, and yes, part of the organisational culture.
Seeing as the experience of menopause is often a significant and challenging transition for many women, transgender men, non-binary and gender questioning colleagues at work, supporting them to be able manage their symptoms, can improve their ability to continue to work at a high level.
A key part of making this transition easier, and becoming a menopause savvy employer, is having a dedicated Menopause Champion at work, probably on the HR team, to be able to support women during this time.
A Menopause Champion will also have the knowledge to be able to signpost those in need to further support or expertise as necessary.
“Having spent the majority of my life in large offices, not once did I ever see support for menopausal women, young women with awful cycles, nor for the men who worked with them”
So what does a Menopause Champion do at work?
In essence, the Menopause Champion provides the support that has been sorely lacking for many years!
The Menopause Champion is responsible for providing support and guidance to employees who are experiencing menopause. They aren’t there to act as a menopause or health coach as those roles are much more in depth.
Instead, the Menopause Champion is trained to be able to listen and understand menopause, as well as raise awareness of the issues around menopause and normalise the conversation in the workplace. This is a key part in reducing the stigma that many feel around menopause.
As you can imagine, there are many benefits to having a Menopause Champion at work, both for staff and the organisation as a whole.
First, having a menopause champion ensures that employees who are experiencing menopause feel fully supported. This leads to a reduction in absenteeism and presenteeism and results in an increase in productivity. It is quite remarkable how much stress is reduced when your team know who to turn to!
Second, having a menopause champion will ensure that policies and procedures are in place to support employees who are experiencing menopause. This can include flexible working arrangements, access to relevant information and training, and support for managing symptoms.
The position of Menopause Champion means that those policies and procedures will be front of mind and followed throughout an organisation.
Thirdly, a Menopause Campion can help to promote a positive and inclusive workplace culture. This can lead to increased employee satisfaction and retention, as well as improved morale and motivation. It also raises the profile, reputation and brand image of an organisation, making it a more attractive prospective employer.
There are many other benefits of having a Menopause Champion in the workplace including:
Improved communication between employees and HR
Increased awareness of menopause among line managers
Reduced risk of discrimination and harassment and therefore a reduced risk of legal action
Improved health and wellbeing for employees
Increased awareness of menopause among customers and stakeholders
Improved employee engagement and loyalty
Enhanced creativity and innovation
Improved teamwork and collaboration
Overall, increased profitability and growth as the organisation benefits from a happier, healthier workforce.
It isn’t hard to see why having a menopause champion as part of the HR team can bring many benefits to both staff and the organisation particularly in organisations where experienced staff are hard to come by.
Providing a Menopause Champion at work is small investment that will have a significant impact on the wellbeing and productivity of employees, as well as the success of the organisation as a whole.
Head here to find out more about our accredited CPD Menopause Champion training or get in touch for a bespoke training package for your organisation.
Our Become a Menopause Coach Diploma course is a popular next step after the Menopause Champion training and our FREE Menopause the Basics course takes over 16k people year through the key points around menopause to revolutionise the way they see menopause.
Whatever you choose, know that we are all stronger together.
Your coach, speaker and trainer,
Lauren