Jog Hundle is an Employment Partner at Mills & Reeve. She leads the Health and Care employment team, having specialised in the sector for over 30 years. She has been a member of the Menopause Friendly Independent Panel since 2021.
“I bring a background of employment expertise and a practical approach to guiding employers on what support to offer their workforce. The Menopause Friendly Accreditation Independent Panel is actually a sum total of all the specialisms we bring, which makes for a very rigorous, worthwhile process which assists organisations in achieving their goal of becoming menopause friendly.
Huge progress in recent years but still more to do
“We’ve seen tremendous change over the years and I’m looking forward to even greater change as we progress. For me, the biggest change is the willingness of employers and managers to talk about menopause openly and see it as a positive to provide support, not just to those who are directly impacted but to the entirety of the workforce as a wholesale education piece.
“I believe the standout practices we see in applications are those which focus on sharing knowledge and experiences. Powerful case studies, and the learnings from them, often encourage informal practices like chat rooms and coffee groups. This knowledge then frequently leads into menopause guidance and policies, with the best practice here being those which are regularly reviewed and refreshed.
“For many employees, it’s hugely helpful to know there are others out there sharing similar experiences, that there is a way forward for them and somebody they can turn to for support. Knowing they are useful to their employer and valued by them helps them to continue thriving as key members of the workforce.
“For those employers looking at reaccreditation, I’d like to see that they haven’t stood still. It’s not just about presenting a picture, but showing how they’ve grown in their practices and procedures. What has the traction been, are they taking on board what their employees have told them? That’s progress in itself. I’d also like to see what they’re doing on the ground to further embed menopause friendly policies and practices.
It’s time all employers were menopause friendly
“The Menopause Friendly Accreditation is for all organisations. This isn’t exclusive to large employers with big budgets – we’ve seen many small charities show how they’ve embedded menopause friendly practices. Essentially, accreditation is attainable to any organisation that can demonstrate they are passionate about being menopause friendly. This means showing how your culture has adapted, and evidence of benefits like sickness levels dropping, retention improving and case studies to back it all up.
“The Independent Panel spends a lot of time analysing applications against key standards, focusing on areas of progression and ongoing plans too. If applicants tell us about further plans for ongoing initiatives, we can offer constructive feedback to help them proceed.
