After gaining menopause-friendly organisation accreditation in February 2025, Mansfield Building Society aims to ensure male employees feel able to better support their female colleagues, partners and family members.
The building society, which has four branches in Chesterfield, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Sutton-and-Ashfield, and Mansfield Central, employs 142 employees, with a ratio of 76% female, 24% male.
It has focused on staff menopause support for the past six years, working with Henpicked: Menopause in the Workplace. It is also a member of the Menopause Cafe charity and holds quarterly sessions, with male employees in attendance.
Mansfield Building Society has made a point of ensuring its training workshops, awareness workshops, and menopause support, policies and procedures have no gender barriers and apply equally to both female and male employees.
Robert Crowe, learning and development specialist, says: “All our managers have been trained to support and assist menopausal employees and are provided with support material, and signposting for family and friends. We have five menopause champions throughout the organisation who have been trained to help.”
The building society additionally offers lunch-and-learn sessions for any employee who wishes to attend from an educational perspective. It uses its intranet to communicate menopause-related support to all employees across the organisation, regularly promotes Henpicked’s menopause and menstruation blogs online, and shares access to a variety of related publications.
Paid menopause leave is available for female employees, while carers’ leave can be taken by any male member of staff supporting a partner or family member.
The building society has received strong feedback from male employees who attended training and menopause cafés, says Crowe.
“They feel more understanding and supportive of spouses and partners and were all surprised to be made aware of the many different menopause symptoms,” he says.
Crowe adds that the organisation wanted access to support via the menopause champions and the HR team to be easy.
“Through our culture and values, we want all employees to have the confidence to discuss all aspects of support, whether menopause or any other matter,” he says.
