Wellbeing of Women will be running a series of workshops in October to help small and medium-sized organisations understand the menopause and how symptoms can affect people at work.

The Menopause Xplored initiative, funded through a partnership between the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England and the UK Health Security Agency, will guide employers towards providing the right support.

Janet Lindsay, CEO of Wellbeing of Women, said: “So many women are struggling with menopause symptoms at work. We know they’re cutting their hours, passing up promotions or leaving their jobs altogether. This makes no sense, either for women or for their employers.

"Menopause Xplored will ensure organisations can take steps to retain staff, improve workplace culture for all, and help women flourish."

The one-hour workshops will involve:

• an immersive film, viewed through a virtual reality headset
• information and guidance from leading expert Diane Danzebrink
• group discussion and questions
• resource packs and downloadable toolkits.

Menopause expert, Diane Danzebrink, said: “I strongly encourage men and women in all roles and from all types of organisations to come along to our training. It’s not just for bigger, office-based businesses. Women experiencing menopause are to be found in warehouses, hospitality, health and beauty, the care sector, retailers, all sorts. And there are always improvements that can be made.”

This rollout of workshops follows a successful pilot phase of Menopause Xplored launched earlier this year.

Leigh-Anne Cruickshank, Senior Operations Manager, Total Wellbeing Luton said, “Before attending the workshop, I hadn't really considered the impact menopause could have on my colleagues and how I could support them. The VR film about the woman experiencing it made me understand the challenges better, especially the "foggy brain" effect and other symptoms that tend not to be talked about as much.

"It encouraged me to have conversations with my team about menopause and we now have much more open discussions about the topic at work. I also plan to bring up this topic during our future management meetings and discuss ways that we can support our colleagues who are going through menopause.”

Charlotte Richmond, Head of Employee Engagement & Wellbeing at Aimii said, “One of the highlights of the workshop was the use of virtual reality (VR). It gave me a good feel for what women might experience during menopause, and it helped me understand some of the challenges they face. It was effective way to increase empathy and understanding among workshop participants. I can see how this would have a powerful effect on the team.

"The information I received at the menopause workshop was incredibly valuable, and it prompted me to make some changes to our policies and practices. One of the first things I did was update our menstrual and menopause policy to reflect the new knowledge and insights I gained from the workshop. I wanted to ensure that our policy was as inclusive and supportive as possible for women going through this transition.”