October 18th was World Menopause Day, and the pro-women committee organised a brilliant event – The Menopause Journey. Today we’d like to share the insights and top tips from our expert panel. Whilst Menopause Day is over, it’s not just a one-day observance, it’s a year-round topic of utmost importance – one that is business critical. Our panel, deeply committed to female health, took a holistic approach to hormonal awareness. They shared empowering insights on how women of all ages, irrespective of where they are in their menopausal journey, can attain optimal health. We asked each panellist to share 3 top tips and their key recommended resources. Please do read on for more…..

Jen Smith – Partner – Forbes Solicitors

1) View the menopause as a business-critical issue and not an individual worker issue. This will create a culture of support and openness.

2) Involve male employees – male allies are vital. Change also begins at the top, therefore ideally, workplace policies and initiatives will have the visible backing of senior male leaders. Do not underestimate the power of senior male role models in the menopause conversation.

3) Training and education. This is where it all starts. Train, educate, repeat. The menopause has historically been seen as a taboo subject. By discussing it openly and transparently in training sessions with the workforce, employers can help challenge misunderstandings and facilitate adjustments. Training managers on how to discuss issues relating to the menopause and how they can support individuals sensitively and appropriately is extremely important.

Lisa Wright – Founder – Menopause the Wright Way 1. Tracking your menopause symptoms

There are 34 clinically recognised menopause symptoms, ideally you should track your symptoms using an app such as “Balance menopause” for a minimum of 4 weeks.

2. Talking to your GP about HRT

Having tracked your symptoms, when contacting your GP ask for a double appointment to see / speak to the person in your practice that is most experienced with menopause and HRT. At your appointment take the record of your symptoms, having familiarised yourself with the NICE 2015 menopause guidelines, so you know what your GP should and shouldn’t do. If you are dissatisfied with the outcome then ask to see a different GP within the practice.

3. HRT Expectations

Initially your GP should only prescribe 3 months’ supply, and then should carry out a review with you. There are numerous types of HRT, and you may find what is first prescribed is not right for you, so upon review talk to your GP about alternative types and dosage. Resources:

The Balance (menopause) App– a fantastic app created and launched by Dr Louise Newson (of Newson Health) providing information on all thing’s menopause. The free version of the app includes a symptom tracker you can use to generate a PDF report to take to your GP.. https://www.balance-menopause.com/balance-app/

British Menopause Society Factsheet on the 2015 NICE Guidelines on Menopause (Diagnosis and management)

This document was actually prepared for GP’s and summarises the key points of the 33page original document. It provides patients with an excellent summary of the NICE guidelines and is very clear as to what GP’s should and shouldn’t do when a women speaks with them about HRT and menopause symptoms.

Resources: https://thebms.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/09-BMS-TfC-NICE-Menopause-Diagnosis-and-Management-from-Guideline-to-Practice-Guideline-Summary-NOV2022-A.pdf

https://www.menopausethewrightway.com/resources

The resources page on my website points to a number of different resources on a wide range of menopause topics. I only link to resources that are evidence based and more free resources are being added all the time.

Emma-Louise Fusari RGN – Founder In House Health

Research has found that women are regularly misdiagnosed, receive poorer medical advice and have poorer quality medical outcomes than men. Organisations need to better support women’s health and wellbeing in their workforce. Here are my top tips on how to do this.

1. You cannot drive strategies for change without key health data.

Data tracking is essential. Absences should be tracked along with a reason for absence to identify patterns and offer support. Like mental-ill health there is a stigma attached to menopause, so reasons given for absence may not be accurate.

2. Break the class divide.

Providing financial assistance so women can access private healthcare, will not only help improve outcomes quicker for individuals but will also boost engagement and productivity. Please ensure credible registered healthcare providers are used.

3. Use Wellbeing Action Plans.

A great free and proactive tool to embed a culture of wellness in your organisation. These are not just specific to mental health but can be used holistically for all areas of health and wellbeing. Think about the whole person, not just a worker.

Resources

1. https://www.womens-health-concern.org/ Women’s Health Concern (WHC), established in 1972 and the patient arm of the BMS since 2012. WHC provides a confidential, independent service to advise, inform and reassure women about their gynaecological, sexual and post reproductive health.

2. https://www.femtechworld.co.uk/opinion/how-can-employers-use-a-data-driven-approach-to-protect-womens-wellbeing-in-the-workplace/

3. https://inhousehealth.co.uk/wellbeing-action-plan/

Support your employees with our Wellbeing M.A.P and A Manager’s Guide so that you can seamlessly embed wellbeing conversations in 1-to-1 manager meetings for healthier, happier and more productive teams.

Toby Levy – Commercial Operations Manager, Hertility

1.) Education

Educating the entire business is so important in creating behavioural change and removing the stigma that still surrounds hormonal health in the workplace.

2.) Empower women to take control

Whether it’s to do with Menopause or general hormonal health – encourage and empower women to take control of their bodies.

3.) Bringing men into the conversation (Bring a Man to Menopause Day)

Being the only male in the room at the event; I really think we have to start bringing males into the conversation. Whilst this was an awareness day, women are ‘suffering’ menopausal symptoms every single day. It’s clear from the lack of representation that male employees/leaders aren’t taking this seriously enough and this needs to change. Key resource – Menopause Guide

Lucy Patel – Founder – Lucy Patel Nutrition

1) Sleep like you’ve never slept before! Please don’t make the mistake of thinking that sacrificing sleep allows you to fit more stuff in – it doesn’t. Support real productivity and energy by sleeping for at least 7 hours every night.

2) Don’t diet and don’t fast excessively, especially if your weight is fluctuating/increasing. Aim for a 13 hour fast every day (ie. 8pm-9am), front load your meals (bigger breakfasts and smaller dinners) and focus on getting plenty of protein.

3) BABY STEPS! Focus first on tiny little changes that you can do with relative ease. Go to bed 10 minutes earlier every other night until you reach your 7 hours. Take a banana and some nuts into work rather than the habitual trip to the vending machine or newsagent. Big change starts with little change, and little changes done well build confidence and motivation so you keep on going.

4) Don’t get over-excited buying supplements – targeted, stronger doses are way more effective than taking bits of everything and crossing your fingers 🙂

Resources

1. Blog – 7 Things Every Woman Should Know About Perimenopause: https://www.lucypatelnutrition.co.uk/post/7-things-every-woman-should-know-about-perimenopause
2. Discuss 121 Support: https://calendly.com/lucypatelnutrition/health-transformation-call-30-mins
3. Discuss Workplace Support: https://calendly.com/lucypatelnutrition/womens-health-in-the-workplace
4. Free E-Book Download – 6 Secrets to a Happy, Healthy Menopause: https://lucy-patel-nutrition.myflodesk.com/x81dhr2vkl

As one of the key pillars in pro-manchester’s strategy, our EDI activity is of paramount importance. It’s ever-evolving and we welcome any feedback or suggestions as to how we could do better.

If you’d like to get involved please email [email protected]