With World Menopause Day approaching on 18 October, nurse-led support service RedArc is calling for a more personalised approach to menopause support. For employers, this means recognising individual experiences, providing reliable information and ensuring employees can access support that meets their needs.
Organisations should build menopause support around three principles – validation, education and choice – to help women navigate menopause with greater confidence, according to RedArc.
The recommendation comes during Menopause Awareness Month, ahead of World Menopause Day on 18 October, and highlights the importance of combining accessible information and digital tools with personalised clinical guidance.
For employers, the message is that effective menopause support should go beyond providing general information or introducing a workplace policy. It should recognise that symptoms, experiences and support needs vary considerably between individuals.
Recognising individual experiences
RedArc identifies validation as an essential starting point for menopause support, particularly as symptoms can affect women’s personal and working lives in different ways.
Christine Husbands, commercial consultant at RedArc, said: “For many women, having their symptoms acknowledged and taken seriously is an important part of the menopause journey. Every woman’s experience is different, and symptoms can affect both their personal and working lives in very different ways.”
For employers and line managers, this reinforces the importance of creating an environment where employees feel comfortable discussing menopause-related difficulties without fear of dismissal or judgement.
It also means avoiding assumptions about how menopause affects an individual’s ability to work, and recognising that the adjustments or support required may differ from person to person.
Combining digital tools with clinical guidance
Technology can play a valuable role in menopause support, particularly through symptom-tracking applications, digital resources and convenient access to information.
However, RedArc cautions against relying on technology as a substitute for personalised clinical support.
While digital tools can help individuals identify patterns and explore available options, clinical professionals can provide guidance tailored to their symptoms, medical circumstances and individual needs.
“Technology can inform and guide, but it cannot provide the personalised, clinical guidance and reassurance that many women need and want,” Husbands said.
For organisations reviewing their employee wellbeing provision, this raises questions about whether digital menopause resources are accompanied by appropriate routes to professional advice.
Education should help employees navigate information
With a growing volume of menopause advice available online, RedArc argues that effective education is not simply about providing more information.
Instead, the focus should be on helping women identify reliable, evidence-based resources, understand their symptoms and make informed decisions about appropriate support.
The organisation also recommends extending menopause education to colleagues, helping to build wider understanding across the workplace.
This could be particularly relevant for line managers, who may be responsible for responding to requests for adjustments or supporting employees experiencing menopause-related difficulties.
Providing meaningful choice
The third principle, choice, recognises that there is no single approach to managing menopause symptoms that will be appropriate for everyone.
RedArc highlights the importance of helping women understand the range of available options, including hormone replacement therapy (HRT), lifestyle measures, emotional support, specialist therapies and clinical guidance.
Exercise, balanced nutrition, sleep and stress management may also contribute to overall wellbeing and symptom management.
In a workplace context, offering meaningful choice means ensuring employees can explore appropriate support rather than being directed towards a standardised solution.
Husbands said: “If menopause support is built around the three principles of validation, education and choice, women will be empowered to navigate this stage of life with confidence and make decisions that are right for them.”
She added that clinical guidance helps bring these principles together by enabling women to understand their symptoms, evaluate information and consider which options are most appropriate for their circumstances.
For employers, the approach provides a useful framework for assessing whether existing menopause support is sufficiently personalised, accessible and responsive to employees’ individual needs.
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