The Menopause Friendly Employer Awards 2024 was a remarkable occasion, bringing together organisations big and small, from the public and private sector, to celebrate another year of success in continuing the menopause drumbeat. 

Every organisation is unique. But what our winners have in common is a shared focus on bringing about significant cultural change. On shining a light into every corner of their company. On upskilling and training, so managers have the awareness and knowledge to support their colleagues. 

We asked our winners to share a single idea, what they felt was most important to them on their menopause journey, which they felt could be easily adopted by other organisations, whether in the same industry or from a completely different field.

Whether you’re starting from scratch, looking to reinvigorate what you’re already doing, or shift your standards upwards, their best practice advice can help. 

Our winning organisations have introduced lots of innovative ideas and creative approaches to their menopause support. As ever, it’s not a case of one-size-fits-all. Adopting often means adapting, taking the concepts and making them work in your own organisation. Here’s what our winners had to say about their top tip:

Share the lived experience

This is an incredibly powerful way of bringing stories to life. Not everyone will have the time or availability to attend every training opportunity. But using real-life examples can really bring the human touch.

Lancashire County Council, winners of Best Trained Workforce, has done just this, creating eLearning videos using lived experiences from volunteers willing to share their stories. This has helped them showcase the wide range of menopause experiences there are, from psychological symptoms to early menopause. They’re also looking to add some multicultural and neurodiverse perspectives, too. 

Lots of people know each other at work, but rarely know what they’re experiencing beyond the professional. Using shared stories can really bring menopause to life as a topic, helping people to get a better understanding of it. 

Meet people where they are

Young Epilepsy were the winners of Best Engagement Approach, thanks to their creative thinking in how to reach staff across a complex organisation. With many of their employees also student facing, they knew that it can be very difficult to just take a break. 

In an organisation where not everyone has a laptop, they decided to find a way to reach people at desks, in classrooms, in finance and facilities and those working night shifts. Rather than running events and activities in person, online or on the intranet, they did a mix of all of these things, also taking into account the different roles people had.

Meeting people where they are show a dedication to support, rather than asking them to come to you. It’s about shining a light into every corner of your organisation, making sure no one is being missed out. 

Offer support via an app

This was the approach from the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, who won the Most Menopause Friendly Working Environment. 

Their steering group had run some research and found that accessing support was a big issue and they wanted to think what they could offer in-house. 

They decided to roll out the Peppy Health app, which allows people to get in-the-moment support, as well as access information, advice, and regular events. As a company, they knew they couldn’t provide clinical advice, so offering the app to colleagues and their partners was a great way of getting this service to them. 

This has given them the confidence that they’re providing highly accurate information about menopause, empowering their people to understand the different ways to manage it. 

Get buy-in from senior leadership

This is the advice from Huddersfield Town FC, winner for the second year running of Most Supportive Partner. Getting the endorsement of their Chief Executive gave their working group the impetus and confidence that they doing something that would have massive benefits. 

It also stopped some of the raised eyebrows about why they were doing this, as he was involved in the training, asking questions and proving that it was a valuable addition to the business. 

Getting a senior leader on board can speak volumes to your colleagues that menopause is taken seriously by your organisation. 

Consider using podcasts and animations

Putting case studies on the intranet wasn’t getting much interest, so Leicestershire County Council, winner of Best Peer-to-Peer Support and Menopause Friendly Employer of the Year (public sector) decided on a different approach.

They’ve recently introduced animated podcasts, which have had a really positive reception and some great feedback. These offer shared lived experiences of people, recorded on Teams so they feel comfortable, with animations then put in place rather than images of them. There’s also an audio version if people would rather listen as they walk, for example. 

Offering a variety of resources mean you’re reaching a wider range of people. So far the organisation has products on surgical menopause, early menopause, their menopause champions, male managers talking about how they support their staff with sensitive conversations, a natural approach to menopause, and exercise during menopause. 

Thinking a little bit creatively can help to bring your information to life, and make sure you’re getting your message across to a wider audience. 

Make a commitment to being menopause friendly

While a lot of companies introduce a menopause policy, BAE Systems, winner of Menopause Friendly Employer of the Year (private sector) decided that wouldn’t be enough. Instead they decided to make it a commitment to make their support more obvious. 

This menopause commitment outlines what they intend to do and how they’ll do it, so they can be held to account and keep returning to it. 

The company now have a draft they can use globally across their international business. It also sets out the roles and responsibilities for employees, showing everyone has a part to play. 

They have also grown their peer support group, with representation across all businesses within the UK, plus they’ve now launched their Australia network. 

A commitment shows it’s not about ‘once and done’ but about constantly revisiting, making sure as many people as possible are reached. 

These best-practice tips from our winners show just a small selection of ideas, and demonstrate there are a wide range of ways to get your menopause awareness out there. There’s no right and wrong, no good and bad… just the steady drumbeat of incredible organisations committed to supporting their colleagues.