Menopause Awareness Training
Practical menopause awareness training for managers and staff covering menopause and perimenopause, workplace impact, supportive conversations, adjustments, equality and inclusive management.
Practical menopause awareness training for managers and staff covering menopause and perimenopause, workplace impact, supportive conversations, adjustments, equality and inclusive management.
Menopause and perimenopause can affect people very differently and may influence comfort, confidence, concentration, sleep, attendance and working life. This practical course helps managers and colleagues understand those experiences, communicate respectfully and identify workplace support that enables people to remain valued and effective at work.
Menopause is a natural stage of life, but there is no single menopause experience.
Perimenopause can begin before menopause and symptoms may change over time. Some people experience relatively minor effects while others experience symptoms that have a substantial impact on everyday life and work.
Menopause is most commonly experienced by women, but inclusive workplace practice also recognises that some trans men and non-binary people may experience menopause.
People may also experience menopause earlier than expected or as a result of surgery or medical treatment.
Managers should therefore avoid assumptions about somebody's age, gender identity, symptoms or personal circumstances.
Symptoms may affect sleep, temperature regulation, concentration, memory, confidence, mood or energy.
The impact can also depend heavily on the working environment. Uniforms, temperature, shift patterns, limited breaks, long meetings, travel, workload and lack of privacy may make some symptoms more difficult to manage.
Managers are not expected to diagnose menopause or become medical experts. Their role is to listen, understand how work is being affected, explore appropriate support and involve HR or occupational health where necessary.
The course is suitable for managers, supervisors, HR and People professionals, business owners, wellbeing leads, employee representatives and colleagues who want to develop a more informed and supportive workplace.
Managers can sometimes avoid the subject because they are worried about saying the wrong thing.
The course helps delegates approach conversations sensitively without assuming that menopause is the cause of an employee's difficulty or requiring somebody to disclose private medical information.
Give the employee space to explain what they are experiencing and what would help.
Consider practical changes rather than assuming one standard solution.
Check whether agreed support is working as symptoms and circumstances change.
Experiences vary considerably and no individual should be expected to experience a particular set of symptoms.
Menopause is not itself one of the nine protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010.
However, treatment associated with menopause may engage existing Equality Act protections depending on the circumstances, including sex, age and disability.
Where symptoms meet the Equality Act definition of disability, the duty to make reasonable adjustments may also apply.
The course helps managers recognise when an apparently straightforward attendance, performance or conduct issue may require additional consideration.
Employers should also consider workplace health and safety. Temperature, ventilation, uniforms, access to drinking water, toilet facilities, rest arrangements and working conditions can all affect somebody experiencing menopausal symptoms.
Information about an employee's health should be handled appropriately and sensitively.
Managers should not casually share somebody's menopause status or symptoms with colleagues simply because workplace support is being arranged.
Where others need information, managers should discuss with the employee what can appropriately be communicated.
Support should respond to the individual, their role and the particular workplace.
Menopause does not mean that normal management stops.
However, managers should understand relevant circumstances before drawing conclusions about changes in performance, attendance or behaviour.
A supportive conversation may reveal practical measures that help an employee continue to perform effectively.
Myth: Menopause only affects older women.
Reality: Perimenopause may begin earlier, and menopause can also occur prematurely or following medical treatment.
Myth: Everybody experiences the same symptoms.
Reality: Experiences, severity and duration vary considerably.
Myth: Menopause is too personal to discuss at work.
Reality: Employees should decide what they wish to disclose, but a supportive workplace should make appropriate conversations possible.
Myth: Workplace support must be expensive.
Reality: Some effective changes can be straightforward and low-cost, although appropriate support always depends on individual circumstances.
An employee experiences sudden hot flushes during meetings and becomes visibly uncomfortable.
What practical changes could the manager explore without drawing unnecessary attention to the employee?
A previously confident employee reports difficulty concentrating and remembering information.
How could the manager support them while maintaining appropriate role expectations?
A manager notices an employee is struggling but does not know whether menopause is involved.
How can they open a wellbeing conversation without diagnosing or making assumptions?
Good practice is not limited to responding after somebody experiences difficulty.
Organisations can improve awareness, equip managers, review policies and working environments, challenge jokes or dismissive comments and make it easier for employees to seek support without embarrassment.
By the end of the course, delegates should be better able to:
All our courses are tailored to ensure the training reflects your organisation's goals, workplace practices and priorities.
The course can be delivered face-to-face or online via Zoom or Teams.
To support participation, discussion and interaction, we recommend the following group sizes per session:
Need to train a larger workforce? No problem. We regularly work with organisations that need to train larger numbers of employees. Where appropriate, training can be delivered across multiple sessions to ensure everyone receives the same high-quality, interactive learning experience. We can develop a delivery programme to suit your workforce size, locations and timescales.
Please note: the half-day rate is not always available for face-to-face sessions.
Over 25 years' experience delivering equality, diversity and inclusion training, consultancy and professional development.
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