Latest / The Diversity Career Podcast with Fexingo: Inclusion, Equity, and Underrepresented Professionals / How One Company Made Menopause a Career Support Tool
Transcript
- Lucas: Luna, I want to talk about a workplace inclusion topic that rarely makes it into DEI strategy documents but affects roughly half the workforce at some point in their careers. Luna: Go on. You've got my attention. Lucas: Menopause. Specifically, how one uk based professional services firm turned it from a whispered-about source of attrition into a structured career support initiative. Luna: I can't think of a single company I've heard talk about this publicly. It's almost taboo. Lucas: Exactly. And that silence has real consequences. Research from the UK's Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development found that nearly one in three women experiencing menopause symptoms have considered leaving their job. For senior women in their late forties and early fifties — that's a direct loss of institutional knowledge and diverse leadership. Luna: So what did this firm actually do? Name names? Lucas: It's a mid-sized consultancy called Vennbridge Partners — roughly 1,200 employees, about 45 percent women. In early 2024, they rolled out a formal 'Menopause at Work' policy. It wasn't a quick memo. They spent six months consulting with employees, occupational health, and external advocacy groups. Luna: Okay, so what did the policy include? Lucas: Three core components. First, flexible scheduling — any employee experiencing menopause symptoms could adjust their start and end times, or work compressed hours, without needing manager approval. Second, environmental adjustments: they designated quiet, temperature-controlled rooms in every office, and allowed desk fans or portable heaters as needed. Luna: That's practical. I know hot flushes and cold sensitivity can be brutal. Lucas: Third — and this is the part I find most interesting — they created a peer support network. Monthly meetings, voluntary, facilitated by a trained internal coach. No HR present. The idea was to create a space where women could share strategies and feel less isolated. Luna: I love that. It's not just about accommodations — it's about culture. Lucas: And the data backs it up. Eighteen months in, Vennbridge reported a 14 percent increase in retention among women aged 45 to 55. That's compared to the two years before the policy. They also saw a 22 percent drop in short-term sick leave among that same group. Luna: Those are serious numbers. What did the policy cost them? Lucas: Vennbridge published a rough cost breakdown — about 35,000 pounds in the first year. Mostly training for managers on the policy, the room modifications, and the facilitator's time. They estimated that replacing a single senior employee costs roughly 25,000 to 40,000 pounds. So even if the policy retained just two senior women, it paid for itself. Luna: So the business case is solid. But why do so few companies follow suit? Is it discomfort? Lack of awareness? Lucas: I think both. There's also a misconception that menopause is a health issue, not a career issue. But think about it — if someone is experiencing brain fog, fatigue, or anxiety, it affects their performance, their confidence, their chances at promotion. That's a career ladder issue. Luna: And it hits at a time when many women are at their most experienced. They've been in the workforce for decades. Lucas: Exactly. Vennbridge's head of DEI said in a case study that they realized they were bleeding seasoned talent right when they needed it most — senior women with client relationships and institutional memory. And once they started listening, employees told them things they'd never raised before. Luna: If today's conversation helped you see an opportunity in your own workplace — maybe even think about what a policy like this could look like — honestly, if it was worth a coffee to you, that's the link: buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It's how we keep this show ad-free and focused on real, actionable examples. Lucas: And we really appreciate every bit of support. It lets us dig into stories like this one without worrying about sponsorship pressure. So, back to Vennbridge — one thing I found striking is how they handled manager training. Luna: What did they teach them? Lucas: It wasn't a one-hour webinar. It was a half-day workshop covering symptoms, how to approach a conversation, and what accommodations are available. Managers role-played scenarios. The goal was to normalize the discussion so that an employee could say 'I'm experiencing hot flushes and need to step out for a few minutes' without feeling embarrassed. Luna: That's the kind of cultural shift that doesn't happen by accident. And it benefits everyone — not just women going through menopause. Lucas: Right. A workplace that's more flexible and empathetic around one life stage tends to be more flexible around others. Vennbridge also found that their peer support network became a place where women discussed broader career concerns — not just menopause — and that led to internal mentorship connections. Luna: So the network became a de facto leadership development group. Lucas: Exactly. And that's the underappreciated upside. When you create a support structure for a specific need, you often build a community that generates other value. Vennbridge saw a 30 percent increase in internal promotions among women aged 45 to 55 over the same 18-month period. Not entirely caused by the policy, but the timing is suggestive. Luna: So the message to other companies is: start by listening. You don't need a perfect policy on day one. Lucas: That's what Vennbridge did. They surveyed employees, held focus groups, and let the policy evolve. For example, they originally only included employees who identified as women, but after feedback, they expanded it to cover anyone experiencing menopause, including transgender and non-binary employees. Luna: That's a great example of intersectional thinking. If you're designing for one group, you might miss others who also need support. Lucas: And the cost of getting it wrong is high. The same CIPD research I mentioned earlier found that 67 percent of women said menopause had a negative impact on their work performance, and 80 percent said they hadn't discussed it with their line manager. That's a huge gap between employee experience and organizational support. Luna: So what's the one takeaway for a company that wants to start this conversation tomorrow? Lucas: Pick one small thing. Maybe it's adding menopause to your existing flexible work policy. Maybe it's training one manager as a champion. You don't need a full-blown program to start. Vennbridge's policy began as a two-page document and a monthly lunch and learn. Luna: And now it's a model that might inspire others. I hope more companies follow their lead. Lucas: Me too. Because retaining experienced talent shouldn't be a taboo subject. It's just good business.