Football team West Ham United has received menopause friendly accreditation in recognition of its high standards and practices to support people experiencing the menopause in the workplace.
In order to receive accreditation, employers must show evidence of their effectiveness in culture, policies and practices, training, engagement, facilities and evaluation, assessed by an independent panel.
According to the panel, West Ham United’s commitment to promoting awareness, understanding and support of menopause, while reinforcing its ambition to be an equity leader within the football industry, was worthy of accreditation. It demonstrated a range of measures to support its workforce, as one in 10 of its female staff is of menopause age and 50% of its senior leadership team is female.
The team implemented workplace adjustments, carried out regular menopause awareness training for staff and managers, worked with external services to provide financial awareness training on pensions and the menopause, and also launched an internal support group for workers experiencing the condition.
In addition to its menopause policy, West Ham United has an employee assistance programme (EAP) that specifically highlights menopause and mental health.
Karren Brady, vice-chairman of West Ham United, said: “It demonstrates our unwavering commitment to our staff and the emphasis we place on creating a positive working environment that allows people to flourish and reach their full potential, supporting and embracing their individual circumstances and needs.
“We work hard to ensure there are no barriers to working at West Ham United and our ethos is centered around enabling employees to bring their whole self to work, providing everyone here with the opportunity to reach their full potential. As well as helping attract and retain some of the very best female staff, our approach to achieving menopause friendly accreditation will help to raise awareness within our male workforce and encourage allyship to further support colleagues, friends and family.”