MENOPAUSE AT WORK: Employee Networks - Louise Furby

By Louise Furby 
Senior Events Manager and Menopause community network co-chair

‘With many companies focusing on their Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) policies and activities, menopause employee network groups (ENGs) are proving to be an effective way to provide support to women in the workplace on their menopause journey, and these groups can have a big impact by contributing to an organisations cultural and diversity credentials.

Employee Network Groups are an essential way for workplace colleagues to network and connect with other like minded individuals.

Often built by colleagues, for colleagues, ENGs create and develop their own ambitions and objectively look at ways to improve and enhance the employee experience in the workplace.  In today’s modern workplace, these networks provide minority groups with a voice, and the growth of the networks is proving to be a motivational decider for many new recruits. It’s hardly any surprise then, that groups that solely represent menopause awareness in the workplace, are starting  up across the globe.

How does an ENG work?
These groups can be as influential or as understated as their members choose.  One of the great benefits is the variation of members: the breadth of knowledge and reach of members is a dynamic rarely seen elsewhere in a work environment, so ENG members offer boundless benefits:
• Knowledge
• Expertise
• Experience
• Passion

And every member serves one common goal: to drive change and improve the work environment for colleagues on  their menopause journey. And your network members will identify on-the-ground change to truly represent the needs of the wider workforce.
Working together there is strength in numbers. In many organisations there are a range of ENGs in existence to support on minority  topics and so working together with these groups can strengthen the integrity of the goal and help drive change.

But, there is a downside…
Many of these groups are started by someone who has a strong desire and ambition to make a cultural change, so this can create extra workload on top of an already busy day job. Having a good structure in place for your ENG with terms of reference and role overviews to help your members understand their involvement, is invaluable in setting expectations early. But despite this, one thing is certain: a menopause awareness employee network group in any organisation can only serve to benefit the wider business and its members.  

Demonstrating a clear commitment to diversity and inclusion credentials, ENGs offer new talent development and demonstrate recruitment appeal. They provide leadership and mentoring opportunities to members, and for  organisations, they define the business as an inclusive environment, an employer of choice and a community partners.’

Are you considering An Employee Network in your Workplace ?  Maybe you already have one but not for Menopause - We would love to hear from you ..

VISIT OUR MENOPAUSE IN THE WORKPLACE PAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION AND ARTICLES