By John Challen

There is a growing awareness of the menopause within society and industry, and many of those involved in the latter are keen to understand the issues and make allowances for those affected. Research from the Faculty of Occupational Medicine suggests that almost 8 out of 10 menopausal people are in work.

For engineering company AtkinsRéalis, the journey to try and help those going through the menopause began in 2018, when the Atkins Menopause Network (shortlisted for a CIHT award in 2023) was founded with three main goals: to raise awareness, support people and drive change in policy. Since then, they have signed the Menopause Workplace Pledge organised by Wellbeing of Women and has committed to making life easier for those going through the menopause. 

One of the founding members was Alison Bryan, Senior Management Consultant, who recognised, with colleague Melanie Redfern, not enough was being done. “At the time, the company didn't really have anything to demonstrate how it was supporting women in the workplace,” she recalls. “Conversations in the news about the menopause had just started, but it took us from then until 2022 to properly demonstrate the need for the business to put systems in place.” 

Signing the pledge was the first step for AtkinsRéalis demonstrating that it truly understood the need to support women in the workplace, believes Bryan. “In relation to the menopause – and how significant it was – what we were doing within the network made it clear how much it was affecting people and the support that they needed.

“To begin with, our network was just a group of people sharing their thoughts and stories and later we developed it more formally. We got a group of menopause advocates and volunteers who, alongside their day job, help us drive the events and activities that we do. We've got about 20 [to] 30 advocates at any one time.”

Image: Alison Bryan Senior Management Consultant; credit: AtkinsRéalis.

Joining together to make a difference

The events that Bryan speaks of include coffee stops, webinars and lunches where people can learn more. “These events provide an opportunity to share stories, or just listen. We’ve had well over 100 people listening to the webinars and the coffee stops, which are intended to be small numbers, attract up to 10 people,” she states.

Recognising the inclusivity aspect of the subject, one in three of the coffee stops are open to men, as well as women. 

Pleasingly, the efforts being made by Bryan and her colleagues are really making a difference. “I generally get positive feedback that we are changing things within the workplace, making it easier for women to work and stay here, especially when they might be at the peak of their careers,” enthuses Bryan. 

For Bryan, there is much more work to be done, something that she is looking forward to. “We’re very much into sharing our stories and, from the early days, we'd hear about other companies and what they were doing in their journey with the menopause,” Bryan explains. “We will, hopefully very soon, become accredited as a menopause-friendly employer and are involved in various industry groups based around the menopause. It’s clear there is a demand for more communication, and we want to be a part of that conversation.”

Read more about the Atkins Menopause at Work Network.