WUN Partner Roundtable: Driving Meaningful Action on Menopause in the Workplace

Last week, WUN – Women’s Utilities Network was delighted to bring together representatives from our partner organisations for an important and timely roundtable discussion, kindly hosted by Calisen in Manchester.

With legislation changing and a new requirement that by 2027 all UK organisations employing more than 250 people must publish a Menopause Action Plan, the session created space for open, honest and practical conversations about how organisations can better support women through menopause, and how to turn intent into action.

A heartfelt thank you to Calisen for hosting the event and for demonstrating visible leadership in this space. With a 66% female executive team, an active EmpowerHER network, and initiatives such as Hot Flushes and Flat Whites – a supportive, safe space for women to connect – Calisen exemplifies what it looks like to embed inclusion into culture, not just policy.

Their willingness to bring this conversation into the open, and to host peers to learn and share together, is a powerful signal of commitment.

Bringing leaders together to share progress and best practice

The roundtable brought together leaders of the Women’s networks from across WUN partner organisations to discuss:

• What progress organisations have made to date
• Where challenges still remain
• Practical steps and the opportunity to share best practice that can improve day-to-day working environments for women experiencing menopause

What stood out was the shared recognition that while menopause affects individuals, workplace response is a collective responsibility; requiring leadership, allyship and organisational commitment.

Learning from best practice: ScottishPower

Kelly Murray shared ScottishPower’s journey to becoming a Menopause Friendly accredited organisation, offering valuable insights for others looking to take similar steps with the support of Henpicked.

Key enablers of their success included:

• Strong executive sponsorship, including a male executive sponsor with visibility and influence
• Embedding allyship at all levels of the organisation
• Carrying out risk assessments to understand impact and track progress
• Ongoing education and training to normalise conversations and remove stigma
• Creating psychologically safe spaces through events, support networks and open dialogue

Kelly also highlighted the importance of measuring impact, using data to understand improvements resulting from policy implementation and cultural change. Initiatives such as employee helplines, an annual menopause conference, and educating the wider workforce — including male colleagues — have helped ScottishPower create more inclusive, supportive environments.

Understanding the urgency: insights from Henpicked

Sharon from Henpicked shared powerful insights and statistics that underlined why this work cannot wait, reminding the room that:

“Menopause isn’t something women can leave at home.”

Some of the statistics shared sparked deep reflection:

• 47% of women who take time off due to menopause symptoms do not disclose the real reason
• 41% worry that their professional ability will be questioned
• 1 in 10 women have left their job because of menopause

These figures highlight not only the personal impact on individuals, but the organisational risk of inaction — from loss of talent to disengagement and reduced productivity.

Key themes from the discussion

Across the session, several consistent themes emerged as essential to effective menopause support:

• Normalising menopause conversations at work
• Education and training for leaders and teams
• Executive sponsorship and visible leadership (including male allyship)
• Practical workplace adjustments and environmental considerations
• Clear policies that are embedded, implemented and reviewed
• Creating psychologically safe environments where people feel supported to speak openly

Looking ahead

As we approach 2027 and the introduction of mandatory Menopause Action Plans, the question for organisations is clear:

What are you doing now to prepare?

WUN is proud to continue convening conversations like this, bringing organisations together to share learning, challenge thinking and accelerate progress across the utilities sector.

Thank you again to Calisen, our speakers, and everyone who contributed so openly to the discussion. The honesty, leadership and collaboration in the room gives us great optimism for the future.

If your organisation is beginning its menopause action planning journey, Henpicked also shared a range of free resources to support next steps, including guidance on menopause action plans, audit checklists and business cases.

Free resources available to access of Henpicked’s websites include :

Menopause Action Plans Are You Ready

Menopause Friendly Free Resource Bundle

Menstruation Friendly Free Resources Bundle

Expert Lunch and Learn Sessions for Individuals

Interested in learning more about the menopause ?

Catch up with the recording of the WUNfor Wellbeing  event -The 40’s Woman & Beyond

Holly Beeston, WUN Advocate