When you’re the person your team looks to for answers, a question about menopause support can feel heavier than it sounds.
There’s new legislation to get your head around. Menopause action plans. Evolving employment laws. A growing expectation that your organisation has a clear approach and that you’re the one to shape it and be involved.
That’s a lot. And if menopause support has been sitting on your list while everything else takes priority…
So before you open another policy document or scroll another guidance page, I want to invite you to do something different.
Stop. Take a breath. And think about your approach.
Not the paperwork. Not the deadlines. Your strategy.
What you actually want menopause support to look like in your organisation, and where you’re starting from.
Here are 5 areas to help you think it through, at your own pace. (Make yourself a cuppa. Biscuits optional)
1. Where are you now?
Before doing anything else, find out what’s actually happening in your organisation. There’s no point rolling out advice or resources that don’t reflect what your people need.
Talk to your colleagues. Ask them how supported they feel, what adjustments would help, and what they’d like to see. A short pulse poll, even just 3 questions can give you a surprising amount of useful insight without taking much time to set up.
This step grounds everything else. It also means that when you do take action, it lands.
2. Awareness
Menopause doesn’t only affect the person experiencing it. Colleagues, managers, partners, friends and family can all feel its impact too which means awareness is valuable for everyone in your organisation, not just a specific group.
Consider opening up menopause awareness sessions to all staff. It normalises the conversation, builds empathy, and creates an environment where people feel safer asking for what they need.
3. Support
You may already have more in place than you realise. An Employee Assistance Programme, occupational health, a menopause police,a flexible working policy. These all count.
Think about what exists, whether people know about it, and whether there are any gaps worth filling. One option that’s growing in many organisations is a menopause champion, not necessarily a formal role, just someone who’s willing to be a visible, approachable point of contact. It can make a real difference to people who aren’t sure who to turn to.
4. Education
Manager training is one of the highest-impact things you can do. When managers feel confident talking about menopause and informed enough to support their teams the whole organisation benefits.
Start from the top. When senior leaders are engaged, it signals that this is taken seriously. From there, training can cascade in a way that feels genuine rather than just a compliance or tick-box exercise.
5. Keep menopause on your radar
The way menopause is approached in the workplace will keep evolving with legislation, guidance, best practice. You don’t need to know everything right now.
What helps is building in a small, regular check-in with yourself. A quarterly moment to ask: is anything new? Does our approach still reflect what our people need? That’s enough to stay ahead without feeling overwhelmed.
You don’t need to have all the answers today. You just need a place to start and the fact that you’re thinking about this at all puts you in a better position than you might think.
I help workplaces turn uncomfortable silence into meaningful support for a fraction of what inaction is already costing them.
Want to talk about how I can help your organisation?
Want to know more about menopause action plans for your workplace?
Here’s some further reading.
