Network Rail Breaks Menopause Stigma

On World Menopause Day (Wednesday 18th October), Network Rail aimed to break the stigma of menopause. This involved offering support, guidance, and making reasonable adjustments in the workplace.

Throughout the month, staff will be attending a series of events including face-to-face talks with industry partners and experts. They will also offer Teams calls for employees to discuss the challenges of menopause and share advice from personal experience. 

“Our aim is to create an environment where employees feel confident enough to talk about their symptoms if they wish to, and to ask for workplace adjustments,” Dannielle Dickens, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion specialist for Network Rail, said.

“Menopause can be a really challenging time for women and it can be hard to know where to turn. That’s why we’re offering a number of events plus support, advice and guidance for our employees and line managers to help break the stigma and change how we think about menopause,” she added.

In the UK, menopause affects an estimated 25 million women, with the average age of those affected around 51. Symptoms of menopause vary, which is why offering the right guidance and support is so important.

World Menopause Day- organised by the International Menopause Society (IMS)- is held each year to raise awareness of menopause. However, they support options available for improving health and wellbeing too.

Network Rail has also made a commitment to become a ‘Bloody Good Employer’. This includes making a long-term, positive change and remove stigma around periods and menopause at work.

Research has shown that in workplaces across the UK, 89% of people who menstruate have experienced stress or anxiety at work because of their period, and 1 in 10 people experiencing menopause have left work due to their symptoms.

This ties in with Network Rail’s ‘Everyone Matters’ initiative, which has seen the organisation take great strides towards achieving a more inclusive workplace. In June this year, Network Rail was named as one of the Times Top 50 Employers for Gender Equality for a third consecutive year, demonstrating its commitment to building a culture where women can reach their full potential by addressing gender inequalities in the workplace.