For Rathbones Group PLC, menopause workplace support was never about ticking a box. Rathbones is a wealth management company, a sector that has traditionally been male-dominated. But like many organisations, its workforce is changing.

Emma Lockwood from Rathbones explained during the Westminster Insights workshop that around 48% of Rathbones colleagues are female, with a third of those over the age of 45. That means a significant number of colleagues may be experiencing perimenopause, menopause or postmenopause while working.

For Rathbones, menopause support was never about ticking a box. It was about wellbeing, culture and making sure colleagues felt able to talk, ask for support and be understood.

The conversation began in 2021, when a colleague, Lucy Sibson was having a difficult time during Covid and raised the subject with a senior executive. His response was simple and powerful: do something about it. Get the conversation going.

That moment helped spark what has now become a much wider workplace conversation.

From a small chat group to a recognised network

Rathbones started in a simple, human way: with a chat group.

That grew into wider activity across the business, including a SharePoint page, Teams chat, monthly in-person and virtual sessions, guest speakers and colleague-led conversations. Rathbones has brought in experts including Henpicked, nutritionists and trichologists, while also making space for lived experience.

That balance matters.

Expert input can help build understanding and confidence. But lived experience helps people feel seen, reassured and less alone.

Emma was clear that Rathbones listens to what colleagues want, not what the organisation assumes they should hear. That is a vital part of building trust.

When support is shaped around real experience, it is more likely to be used.

Naming menopause matters

One of the most striking parts of Rathbones’ story was the journey around language.

Emma explained that the network was initially discouraged from using the word menopause in its title. Instead, it was called “Take a Moment Pause”. After years of persistence, the name was changed to Menopause Matters@Rathbones.

That change matters.

Language sends a message. If an organisation avoids saying menopause, it can reinforce the idea that the topic is awkward, shameful or not suitable for work.

Using the word menopause openly helps normalise it.

It tells colleagues this is a recognised workplace issue. It gives permission for conversations. It helps move the subject out of whispers and into proper support.

The power of keeping the conversation going

Rathbones’ experience shows that culture change often happens through persistence.

Emma described the importance of continually talking about menopause, normalising the topic and not being afraid to raise it. What was once a conversation perhaps held quietly in the ladies’ toilets has become something colleagues now come forward to discuss openly.

That is a significant cultural shift.

It did not happen through one session or one policy. It happened because colleagues kept the conversation alive, made support visible and created repeated opportunities for people to engage.

For employers preparing Menopause Action Plans, this is an important lesson.

Menopause support needs rhythm and repetition. People need to hear about it more than once. New starters need to know it exists. Managers need reminders. Colleagues need different routes into support.

Culture changes when the conversation keeps going.

Male allies make a real difference

One of the strongest messages from Rathbones was the importance of male allies.

Emma explained that male colleagues have played an important role in helping open up the conversation. Some came forward because they wanted to better understand what a wife, partner, colleague or family member was experiencing. Once they understood more, they helped others understand too.

That matters because menopause is not just something those experiencing symptoms need to know about.

Men may be managers, colleagues, partners, sons, fathers, friends or senior leaders. Their understanding can help create a more supportive culture.

In a traditionally male-dominated sector, male allyship can be especially powerful. It helps show that menopause is not a side conversation, and it is not something for women to sort out alone. It belongs in the workplace conversation because it affects people, teams, retention, confidence and working lives.

Lived experience builds trust

The strongest menopause workplace support is shaped by lived experience.

Monthly talks and open conversations give colleagues the chance to hear from others, learn from real stories and understand that they are not alone.

Emma’s advice was simple: do not underestimate the power of honest conversations and lived experience.

That is a powerful point.

Lived experience helps take menopause from theory into reality. It helps people recognise symptoms, understand different experiences and see why support matters.

It can also help managers and colleagues build empathy.

Of course, lived experience should always be shared voluntarily. Nobody should ever feel pressure to talk about something personal. But when people do choose to share, it can help shift culture and create permission for others to ask for support.

Manager training is essential

Rathbones was also clear on the importance of line manager training. Manager training helps make menopause workplace support more consistent.

Emma described training as key because managers need the confidence to respond well. Awareness helps people understand the issue, but education and capability are what change behaviour.

This is one of the most important lessons for employers.

A manager may want to help but still feel unsure what to say. They may worry about being intrusive. They may avoid the conversation completely. Or they may apply policies too rigidly because they do not know what flexibility they have.

Training helps managers understand what menopause is, how it can affect work, what support is available, how to signpost and how to have sensitive conversations.

That confidence makes support more consistent.

And consistency matters. Colleagues should not have a good or poor experience simply depending on which manager they happen to speak to.

Guidance can feel more accessible than policy

Rathbones has chosen guidance rather than a formal policy.

Emma explained that this softer approach felt right for the organisation, particularly in a male-dominated environment where menopause was still a relatively new area of conversation.

This is a helpful reminder that one size does not fit all.

Some organisations may need a formal policy because that is how change happens in their structure. Others may find guidance more accessible, human and practical.

What matters most is not the label on the document. It is whether colleagues know support exists, managers understand what to do and the organisation follows through.

Policies and guidance should help people. They should not sit hidden away where nobody uses them.

Confidence to ask for support

Rathbones has also invested in access to wider support, including medical support and referrals to specialists. But Emma made an important point: colleagues still need to feel confident enough to ask for help.

That is where culture comes in.

Support may exist on paper but if people are embarrassed, afraid or unsure, they may not use it.

Employers need to create a culture where asking for support feels safe and normal. That means clear communication, trusted managers, visible resources, safe spaces and repeated messages that menopause is understood and taken seriously.

Warmth, honesty and humanity

One of the strengths of Rathbones’ approach is the warmth and honesty colleagues bring to the conversation.

Menopause can be difficult, frustrating and deeply personal. For some people, humour may be part of how they talk about their own experience. But employers need to be careful that humour never becomes dismissive or slips into “banter” that makes someone feel exposed, embarrassed or judged.

The safer message is about humanity.

When people can talk openly, without embarrassment or judgement, they are more likely to seek support early. That does not mean making light of symptoms or expecting people to laugh things off. It means creating an environment where colleagues feel able to be honest about what they are experiencing and ask for support without fear.

That is what a supportive culture looks like.

What Rathbones shows employers

Rathbones’ story shows that menopause support can start small and grow into something meaningful.

A single conversation became a chat group.
A chat group became a network.
A network became monthly sessions, resources and open conversations.
A once-hidden topic became something colleagues and managers are more confident discussing.

The lessons are clear.

Start the conversation. Listen to lived experience. Use language that normalises menopause. Bring male allies in. Train managers. Keep talking. Make support visible and accessible. Choose guidance or policy based on what will work in your organisation.

And above all, be tenacious.

Because culture change rarely happens in one big moment. It happens through repeated, practical, human action.

Menopause support is about culture

For Rathbones, menopause support is not a tick-box exercise. It is part of wellbeing, inclusion and creating a workplace where people feel able to be honest about what they need.

That is exactly what employers need to think about as Menopause Action Plans become more important.

A plan is only meaningful if people feel the difference.

Rathbones shows that menopause workplace support works best when it is visible, trusted and kept alive through conversation.

Rathbones Group PLC achieved Menopause Friendly Accreditation on 12 June 2025.