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With today being World Menopause Day, Midlands water and waste company Severn Trent has underlined its commitment to supporting its employees who have the menopause.

The company prides itself on the support it offers around menopause, both through a programme of awareness sessions and workshops, and via an online support guide which gives staff helpful guidance on how to deal with the menopause at work.World Menopause Day, which takes place on Thursday 18th October, is coordinated by the International Menopause Society to raise awareness of midlife women’s health.

Severn Trent’s Juliet Saimbi, who leads the company’s programme, said: “We want Severn Trent to be an awesome place to work for everyone and that means being there to support people as much as possible. 

“The menopause has very much been seen as a taboo subject in the past and many women have historically been uncomfortable talking about it. However, step by step we’ve been able to change that by giving people opportunities to chat through their symptoms and by providing them with the best information and advice. 

“We’ve equipped line managers with the knowledge needed so they’re comfortable talking about menopause issues, and we’re even helping other organisations to understand our approach.“World Menopause Day is a brilliant way to raise awareness and we’re fully behind it again this year.”

Deborah Garlick, founder of Menopause In The Workplace and community website Henpicked, added: “Severn Trent was one of the first big organisations in the UK to really push the menopause agenda internally. “They are quite rightly held up as best practice for the inspiring programme they run, and for the great lengths they go to in supporting employees going through the menopause.”

Both Juliet and Deborah are presenting at the Health & Wellbeing Conference which is being held at the National Exhibition Centre from 5th to 6th March next year.

For more information on World Menopause Day, readers can visit www.imsociety.org