None of my friends were experiencing this and my mother had died a few years earlier, so I had no one close to discuss it with. In fact it was three years before my GP would confirm my symptoms as the menopause. At work, my manager was a woman younger than me, and I did not feel comfortable discussing it with her. The reality was that I really struggled at work because my mind was often foggy and hot flushes came from nowhere, which made me feel very self-conscious and uncomfortable. In hindsight, it would have been so much easier if I could have had a conversation and some understanding from my manager.’
This is how one of our administrators described the challenges she faced at work while going through the menopause. She shared her story as part of a staff conference where the business hosted a daily one hour online event over the course of a week attended by the whole company. The objective was to open up the conversation about all aspects of diversity and inclusion, with each day focused on a different element of diversity awareness – including mental health, gender, disability, ethnicity, and age. Each hour included a pre-recorded video of someone’s own lived experience, a presentation about the challenges and issues they have faced, and a panel discussion about how different challenges can be overcome. The week was entirely hosted by staff from within the business, involving 30 different employees over the week (out of a business of 150). Despite the restrictions of COVID the event bought the whole business closer together. Collectively hearing the unedited personal lived experiences of colleagues from a broad cross section of the group meant we all felt the intimacy of their stories and could not fail to empathise with everyone involved.
Feedback from the week was astonishing, with many individuals stating how proud they felt working for a company willing to have these open conversations, how connected they felt to their colleagues and how it had sparked a real passion to embrace an inclusive culture. Participants appreciated the opportunity to have a platform to share their stories and receive acknowledgement from their colleagues about the challenges they have faced. Most importantly, it has established a culture of inclusion where staff are much more willing to celebrate difference and challenge historical ways of working.
Following this event, we also noticed that although the gender split of our middle managers is 50/50, they were often inadvertently becoming a blocker to supporting women’s progress in the business, usually through lack of knowledge or not joining the dots on how their actions are perceived. To address this, we have implemented monthly manager networks to discuss and agree best practice around our management techniques through a diversity and inclusion lens.
Last month we covered menopause, collectively we watched videos about the challenges of menopause in the workplace and discussed best practice of how we could support employees going through the menopause. We concluded the need to keep an open mind and avoid making assumptions about someone’s condition or how it may be affecting their ability to do their job. We also felt the need to treat every employee as an individual because menopause symptoms can vary hugely from person to person. From a practical perspective, we acknowledged the need to make physical adjustments, such as providing a fan, or education content on the intranet, but also changes such as offering a more flexible working arrangement.
For the majority of our managers, both men and women, this was the first time they had ever discussed or even considered the impact of menopause in the workplace. For many, the conversation was awkward but, within the hour, we were all sharing our own experiences and stories of our mothers and partners. We have a long way to go, but starting the journey to normalise the menopause conversation within the business should help our colleagues become more comfortable discussing their challenges with their manager and agreeing a flexible structure to support them through this period.
Steve Butler, CEO of Punter Southall Aspire and author of Inclusive Culture: Leading Change Across Organisations and Industries
April
29apr11:4514:00Women in Business Networking - London networking - London City
29/04/2025 11:45 - 14:00(GMT+01:00)
The Anthologist
58 Gresham Street, London, EC2V 7BB
Kick off your 2025 in style by networking with us. A fabulous mix of formal & informal networking over a facilitated business lunch
WIBN networking is here to create a platform for like-minded women, who passionately drive their business forward and collaborate with others to help them achieve success.
WIBN is a business network organisation for women business owners and employed professionals, who network each month over a facilitated business lunch. Our members support and encourage each other through collaboration and the sharing of business contacts and opportunities. The meetings are structured and effective, whilst also being supportive and friendly!
As Women Business Owners we know that one person can transform your business but think what you could achieve with a tribe of supportive and passionate business owners?? At WIBN we recognise that often women lack relevant networking opportunities simply because they network in a different way to men!
Our monthly meetings are a fabulous mix of formal and informal networking which includes your own 60 secs pitch, a focused spotlight session from a member and lunch.Our philosophy in this group is simple – No sister left behind! Come along to our WIBN group as a visitor and experience the potential to grow your business in a more productive way.
WIBN has a professional exclusivity policy so it’s one profession per group – see below * . As long as your profession is not already represented you would be welcome to visit a group twice before deciding if you want to join.
WIBN is a monthly membership group and a 12 month commitment will be required after you have visited a maximum of two times. Full details and prices will be given at the meeting.
*in the event that your profession is already represented at your chosen meeting then the organiser saves the right to propose another place or date. If we cannot relocate you then a full refund will be given.
30apr10:0016:00Women's Health Champion Course (CPD Accredited)
30/04/2025 10:00 - 16:00(GMT+01:00)
Periods, menopause,
They’re everyday realities for millions of women and they directly impact performance, engagement and retention.
But stigma, silence and a lack of knowledge mean many managers and HR professionals don’t know how to spot the signs or have the right conversations.
It’s time to change that.
Our Women’s Health Champion Training is designed to break the silence and build real, practical support in your organisation – every single day.
Delivered by two expert trainers, this engaging course covers:
✅ Menstrual health and managing period-related challenges
✅ Fertility, pregnancy, and baby loss (including returning to work)
✅ Gynaecological conditions like endometriosis, fibroids and PCOS
✅ Menopause and long-term wellbeing
✅ Practical strategies to create a truly inclusive culture
Date: Wednesday 30th April 2025
Time: 10.00am – 4.00pm
Place: Zoom
Cost: £495 per person
Or get in touch if you’d like us to create a bespoke course for your organisation.