Specialist dementia nursing charity Dementia UK has received menopause-friendly accreditation due to its commitment to support its employees experiencing perimenopause and the menopause.
The menopause-friendly accreditation was established by Henpicked: Menopause in the Workplace. It recognises proven practices that embrace menopause in the workplace by setting clear standards which must be met.
It is awarded to employers that demonstrate to an independent panel of experts that they actively support menopause at work across five accreditation pillars, including culture, policies and practices, training, engagement, and working environment.
While working towards accreditation, Dementia UK organised internal learning sessions for employees and discussed the perimenopause and menopause at meetings and events to increase understanding of symptoms across its workforce. The charity, which has a majority female workforce, also offers menopause training for all employees and will have more sessions throughout October leading up to World Menopause Day.
Nando Caicedo, director of people and organisational development at Dementia UK, said: “We’re delighted to receive this accreditation which echoes our support for employees who are experiencing perimenopause and menopause, ensuring they feel supported in the workplace. Further to the assessment criteria, we are now asking Dementia UK employees about our internal policies and practices in our engagement surveys. We hope our efforts in this area will help employees feel heard and empowered, as well as potentially giving them a greater understanding of any symptoms they may be experiencing.”
Deborah Garlick, chief executive officer and founder of Henpicked: Menopause in the Workplace, added: “All credit must go to Dementia UK’s hard-working team for prioritising menopause-friendly action. While menopause policies and procedures may start at work, they quickly cascade to customers and wider communities plus families and friends of employees. The work Dementia UK is doing in this space can have far-reaching impact.”
