West Ham United have reflected on the positive achievements that have been made by the Club to promote awareness, understanding and support of menopause with today, Wednesday 18 October, marking World Menopause Day.
In February this year, West Ham United has become the first Premier League Club to receive the Menopause Friendly Accreditation (MFA) in recognition of its high standards and proven practices that embrace menopause in the workplace.
The Menopause Friendly Accreditation is industry-recognised and the only accreditation that sets clear standards which must be met. As such, it is truly meaningful and considered by many as a prominent mark of excellence for menopause in the workplace.
Employers are assessed by an Independent Panel and must show evidence of their effectiveness in six key areas, namely: culture, policies and practices, training, engagement, facilities and evaluation. West Ham United received the Menopause Friendly Accreditation after demonstrating a wide range of measures to support its workforce, where one in ten of its female staff is of menopause age.
This was one of the key topics spoken about last month at London Stadium when the Club hosted a high-profile Menopause Roundtable that saw business leaders from across the UK gather to discuss support for menopausal women and the steps that can be taken to prevent them leaving the workforce because of their symptoms.
The roundtable – led by Minister for Social Mobility, Youth and Progression, Mims Davies MP and West Ham United Director of Inclusion, Jackie Ferdinand – saw discussions that looked at best practice around supporting women to stay and thrive in work during the menopause and helping those who have left the workforce return to employment.
As many as one in four menopausal women consider leaving work due to their symptoms, with women over 50 representing the fastest growing segment of the workforce.
The West Ham United Senior Leadership Team is 50 per cent female and led by Vice-Chairman Karren Brady. Key to its menopause friendly practices are workplace adjustments enabling people to work through the menopause. The Club carries out regular menopause awareness training for staff and managers and works with external services to provide financial awareness training on areas including pensions and menopause. It also has an internal support group for staff experiencing menopause, alongside strong allyship among male staff.
In addition to a standalone menopause policy, West Ham United has a dedicated Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) service that specifically highlights menopause and mental health.
Furthermore, the Club is also proud to sponsor Back 2 Businesship, a returners programme that up-skills, builds confidence and coaches the return of top talent into the workplace after a family / caring career break, via a six-day face-to-face bootcamp over two weeks, featuring 25 interactive sessions presented by experts in their field. The programme is focused on enabling experienced returners, predominantly women, to get back to work and into jobs, as well as updating their skills and knowledge to reboot their careers.