Menopause Support

The Best Connection Champions Menopause Support with Café and Client Praise 

In November 2023, The Best Connection launched its Menopause Café, an initiative designed to raise awareness and foster open conversations about menopause in the workplace. Over the past year, the Café, organised by members of the ED&I Champion group and passionate advocates across the network, has become a supportive hub for employees. This space allows everyone to share experiences, discuss symptoms, and offer advice, helping to break the stigma surrounding menopause and promoting a more inclusive workplace. 

The Menopause Café welcomes everyone, regardless of gender or age, and encourages respectful, confidential discussions. The monthly meetings offer an open platform for employees to connect, listen, and learn, helping to create a more inclusive and supportive work environment. 

As part of the Café’s success, Andy, a manager at National Grid, recently joined as a guest speaker, sharing his journey of supporting a colleague through menopause. His insights addressed key questions on how managers, particularly male managers, can better navigate menopause conversations in the workplace. Andy shared how his initial knowledge was limited but, through empathy and a desire to learn more, he became an effective and confident ally. His advice to other managers included dispelling common myths, staying open-minded, and actively engaging in conversations with team members. 

Louise, Business Director at Horizon Specialist Contracting Ltd, shared her positive experience after learning about the Café during a meeting with a team of recruiters from The Best Connection’s Mansfield Branch. Louise was impressed by the company’s commitment to supporting staff through challenging personal situations, particularly menopause, and praised the initiative for creating a comfortable environment to discuss often taboo subjects. “I was really impressed that The Best Connection enables its staff to share questions or concerns together, making the subject less difficult to discuss and providing timely support,” Louise commented. 

With a year of impactful discussions under its belt, the Menopause Café continues to thrive, covering essential topics such as personal support, shared experiences, and practical resources. The company is also excited to complement these efforts with a newly launched eLearning course on Menopause Awareness, offering employees additional resources to understand and support colleagues experiencing menopause. 

The Café is open to all employees on the first Thursday of every month, with upcoming sessions promising more opportunities to learn, share, and support one another. 

Hear from Senior Manager, Lee Bennet, and his experience with the cafe: “It’s informative, it’s emotional, it’s helpful but above everything else there’s a large slice of kind feeling and understanding. something this world is sometimes sadly lacking in. It’s great to see so many people. empowering each other to talk up and explain their own experiences and how they feel. It’s certainly made me a more understanding person.” 

As the café moves into its second year, The Best Connection is excited to implement additional cafés focused on topics such as mental health. These initiatives will help broaden our commitment to employee well-being and create even more opportunities for open discussions. 

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