Back in June 2021, Aster Group was among the very first organisations to achieve The Menopause Friendly Accreditation. Their passion and determination to change the way everyone thinks and feels about menopause, along with their engagement of colleagues in finding solutions, led them to pass rigorous impact evidence standards in culture, engagement, training, workplace facilities, and evaluation.
One of their particularly creative initiatives was the ‘black cardi’. As Julie Cridland, who lead the menopause support group at Aster, explained:
“We wanted to start making a difference quickly, and one of the first simple steps we took was to introduce period products in all our office toilets. Being ‘caught short’ was a source of major embarrassment and discomfort for female colleagues, so the introduction of free supplies was a welcome change.
“We also created a ‘black cardi’ initiative, having a black cardigan in each toilet for women to wrap around their waist in the event of an accident, allowing them to get somewhere discreetly to be able to change. We recognise menopause is a sensitive and sometimes uncomfortable topic, so we put up awareness posters in the toilets where they can be read privately. Internally, we called this campaign #loonews!
“World Menopause Day 2018 marked the soft launch of our menopause initiative with a blog in our weekly newsletter announcing Menopause as our new wellbeing priority and USB fans added to our standard stationery list with access to all.”
Aster also ensured comprehensive support mechanisms were introduced for employees navigating menopause-related symptoms through its colleague wellbeing offer including access to free mental health support and counselling, and a community support group with monthly live sessions on various menopause related topics.
In addition, health plans provided for all employees offers free resources and articles through a health information website, cash back on therapies and prescription charges, and an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) enhancing the overall wellbeing offer.
Acknowledging menopause as an integral aspect of workplace wellbeing, Aster has included menopause related absence in its reporting and uses this as another way to trigger intervention and exploring reasonable adjustments.
The impact of Aster’s initiatives extends beyond the organisation, as evidenced by other organisations who’ve felt that the ‘black cardi’ campaign was right for their organisation and colleagues, including many NHS Trusts. This was also mentioned at a recent event in Westminster!
With its continued leadership and innovative ideas, Aster Group continues to inspire advancements in supporting employees through menopause and beyond.
