Purpose Coalition marks World Menopause Month with Westminster roundtable led by Carolyn Harris MP
The Purpose Coalition convened partners from across transport, higher education, health, justice, construction, law and professional services for a Westminster roundtable with Carolyn Harris MP, Chair of the APPG on Menopause, to share practical solutions that make workplaces fairer and more supportive for women experiencing menopause.
Opening the discussion, Carolyn Harris MP emphasised that menopause is a mainstream workplace and wellbeing issue: “Menopause isn’t ‘special’ — it’s normal. What it deserves is respect.” She urged employers to prioritise retention of experienced women through informed line management, flexible policies and access to evidence-based clinical support.
The session highlighted lived experience and hands-on interventions already working across sectors. Common threads included the need to normalise conversations, address persistent myths about HRT, design roles and kit around real bodies and real shifts, and providing training and education to spot symptoms early rather than default to misdiagnosis or performance management.
Five practical takeaways for employers
Fix the workplace, not the woman. Treat menopause as an attitude shift: scheduling, temperature, uniforms/PPE, access to facilities and breaks — not just awareness posters.
Train the right people. Equip line managers, OH teams and mental-health first aiders with menopause-specific training and clear referral pathways.
Make support easy to use. Menopause champions, private escalation routes, symptom checklists, and induction pack inserts demystify access to help.
Get the basics right on kit and facilities. Inclusive PPE and uniforms; discreet, in-cubicle period products; contingency items (e.g. spare layers) for safety-critical or remote roles.
Measure what matters. Track retention, absence and grievance trends for 40–60 year-olds; add menopause considerations to supplier codes and due-diligence, just as with modern slavery or safety.
Policy and system insights
Access and clinical confidence. Participants highlighted inconsistent prescriber knowledge and lingering misconceptions about HRT; standardised training and clear, evidence-based guidance can narrow the gap between symptoms and support.
Intersectionality matters. Experiences differ by ethnicity, income, occupation, disability and culture. Programmes must be co-designed with the women most affected, especially in shift-based, safety-critical and uniformed roles.
Partners shared initiatives including manager workshops with high male attendance (building allyship and confidence to have the conversation), embedding menopause modules into mental-health first aid training, rolling out inclusive PPE specifications, and moving essentials (e.g. sanitary products) inside cubicles for dignity and discretion. Several organisations are piloting streamlined referral routes to specialist advice and strengthening OH triage to avoid unnecessary antidepressant prescribing where menopause is the underlying driver.
“Women are worth the effort — and when workplaces get menopause right, they keep skills, leadership and loyalty. That’s a win for people and for productivity.” — Carolyn Harris MP
Participants included representatives from: Liverpool John Moores University; Clyde & Co; Medefer; HMP & YOI Bronzefield (Sodexo UK&I); University of Salford; Sciensus; PGL Beyond; Enterprise Mobility; University of Southampton; South Eastern Railway; Serco UK; Bell Group; and Curtins.
