Is everyone at your company getting the information they want and need through your menopause communications programme or are people uncertain about who to ask for support, where to access resources or missing training opportunities because they’re not well publicised?
There are two key pieces of menopause news you need to be aware of this month AND communicating across your organisation.
The first is relevant to your HR, EDI and Leadership team because it could influence your thinking on menopause policies, training and support in the future.
The second is important to your employees as it effects accessibility to certain treatments for managing symptoms.
- Government Appoints First Menopause Employment Champion
The government has appointed Helen Tomlinson as England’s first ever Menopause Employment Champion to help improve workplace support.
The areas Helen has indicated she will be looking at to help those experiencing menopause stay and progress in work include:
- Encouraging employers to develop menopause policies.
- Ensuring practical steps are taken to support employees.
- Normalising the conversation around menopause.
If you want to get ahead of the curve, email julie@juliedennis.net to arrange a free consultation about how to create and launch a first class inclusive menopause policy, training and toolkit that will help you retain and attract talented people of all ages.
- Access to a year’s worth of menopause prescription items for the cost of 2 single prescription charges
You can now access cheaper Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) in England to help manage menopause symptoms through a new Prescription Prepayment Certificate (PPC) reducing the cost to less than £20 a year.
You can apply for a PPC through the NHS Business Services Authority or in person at a pharmacy registered to sell PPCs.
Be sure to share this news with all your employees along with guidance on how to apply for a PPC in your company menopause toolkit. I’d also recommend you highlight the news in all your regular company menopause communications channels.
A strategic Menopause Communications Programme is essential to keeping your colleagues and managers engaged and invested in menopause awareness and support throughout the year.
The most effective menopause communication channels are those that have a high dialogue or interaction potential and include:
- Managers briefings to bring leaders up to speed on company menopause matters such as the update of your menopause policy or guidelines and alert them on what to cascade at team meetings.
- Pulse surveys to gauge how well employees feel supported, identify areas for improvement, and to get new ideas for your menopause initiative.
- Online platforms such as yammer and facebook workplace are excellent tools for employees to share challenges, exchange tips for managing symptoms and benefit from shared experience.
Other interactive communications channels to keep the menopause conversation visible and lively include town hall meetings, team huddles, online Q&As, menopause champion networks, meet the expert sessions and roadshows.
However, remember not everyone will want to interact or speak openly about menopause at work so it’s also important to provide easy access to menopause tools, resources and information where a response isn’t required or expected. Examples of these include:
- Web-based platforms such as your company portal or sharepoint site to host fact sheets, resources and signpost people to relevant employee benefits such as your EAP and private GP appointments.
- Quarterly newsletters to share menopause news, training and updates with employees. They can also be used to feature members of your menopause champion network. If not all your employees have access to a laptop remember to provide print copies too.
- Email to communicate with a large group of people and deliver short key messages, save the date and reminders to take action such as signing up for your quarterly menopause awareness workshops.
The best type of menopause communications will vary depending on the size and culture of your company, the type of work your employees do, and the specific needs of the organisation.
I’d recommend you create quarterly menopause communication schedules detailing target audience, objectives, sponsor, key messages, planned publish date, and channel for each communication you’ll be sharing.
By using a variety of effective channels, you can ensure that all your employees and managers are kept informed and engaged and menopause becomes an everyday conversation where everyone’s voice is heard.
To arrange a free consultation about how to create and launch a first class Inclusive Menopause Communications programme that reaches all of your employees, send me a message on LinkedIn or email julie@juliedennis.net.
