Introducing Our Menopause Champion

Here at Pennine, we recognise and support unique experiences that individuals go through during different stages of their lives, and we want to continue to foster a diverse and inclusive environment where all colleagues can feel empowered to be their best selves. One such stage that has often been overlooked is the menopause — a natural phase of change that impacts countless women in the workforce. As a testament to our commitment to inclusivity and employee empowerment, we are thrilled to be introducing our Menopause Champion program aimed at supporting women through this significant life transition. The leader of which, is our Production Planner – Laura Walsh.

Many women experience symptoms such as hot flushes, mood swings, sleep disturbances, and more. Balancing these changes with professional responsibilities can be daunting, and that’s where our Menopause Champion comes in.

So, what exactly is a Menopause Champion, and how does it work?

1. Advocacy and Awareness: Our Menopause Champion serves as an advocate for women experiencing menopause within the organization. They work to raise awareness about menopause, its potential impact on work, and the ways in which the company is addressing it. By breaking the silence around this topic, we’re creating an open and understanding atmosphere where women feel comfortable discussing their needs.
2. Supportive Resource: The Menopause Champion is a resource for information and guidance. They are well-versed in the physical and emotional aspects of menopause and can offer advice on managing symptoms at work.
3. Flexible Work Arrangements: Our Menopause Champion works closely with HR to develop and implement flexible work arrangements tailored to individual needs. This could include adjusted schedules, remote work options, or temporary workload modifications to accommodate the varying energy levels and potential medical appointments that come with menopause.

As a Pennine representative, Laura explains further:

‘‘After years of silence, people are now finally talking about the Menopause, whether it’s with friends, family, or work colleagues.

It is important to remember that the Menopause is a natural stage of a women’s life, and having these conversations can identify support that is required, as women can be affected in varied ways.

Here at Pennine, we have a workforce made up of 66% women. Therefore, it’s important that we support our colleagues.

Our focus is to become a Menopause friendly workplace. So far, we have introduced a small library of books that are loaned out to our colleagues to gain some information on the Menopause and further understanding.

Also, with the help of our Marketing team, we have created a leaflet called “All about Menopause”, a quick guide on understanding Menopause, managing it, and helping someone who maybe going through it.’

Enriching Communities is a core value of ours alongside Protecting Life and Empowering Colleagues, therefore we have made this leaflet available to everyone who may want to have a read. Feel free to download and browse it below.

We are also very excited to announce that our Head of People and Culture, Mark Jones, will be attending a Menopause-focused Roundtable discussion hosted by The Minister for Social Mobility, Youth and Progression later this month.

This will provide us with information of how we can support women to stay and thrive in work and improve support for those returning to employment. By maintaining a particular focus on the Menopause, and how we can support their employees and colleagues on this agenda, we are proud to be getting involved in communal discussions and gather regional perspectives on approaches and best practice, when supporting women and those experiencing the menopause in the workplace.

This is just the beginning for Pennine – more updates coming soon…

VIEW OUR MENOUPAUSE LEAFLET