- Helen Tomlinson took on the role of Menopause Employment Champion following a report by the 50 Plus Choices group, which highlighted the need for a more menopause-friendly work environment to retain and encourage women over 50 in the workplace.
- The role aims to reduce the number of women leaving the workplace due to menopause-related issues and bring back the 630,000 women aged 45-55 currently on universal credit by educating employers about menopause and perimenopause.
- In her day job as the head of talent inclusion for the Adecco Group, one of the largest recruitment organisations in the UK, Tomlinson had launched a menopause policy and advocated for more government action around menopause.
- This advocacy work led to her appointment as the Menopause Champion.
- Helen emphasises that menopause and perimenopause are not just health issues but also employment and equality issues that require open discussions and understanding in the workplace.
- Her experience with perimenopause influenced her work. She advocates for asking the employee about the adjustments they need, instead of making assumptions, to make the workplace more accommodating.
- Helen notes that many women experience heavy periods, which she feels should be addressed more openly at work. This will support cultural change and make the workplace more inclusive for women’s health issues.
- The role of Menopause Champion also involves helping employers navigate potentially difficult topics. To facilitate this, Helen recommends sharing lived experiences and creating open dialogues about these issues.
- Helen is also keen on breaking down barriers in male-dominated workplaces. She advocates for ‘men-only safe spaces’ to initiate these sensitive discussions and increase understanding about menopause.
- Ultimately, the goal is to create an environment where employees are comfortable discussing their health issues, such as menopause, without feeling judged or penalised.
Check out our other Podcasts
Unlocking Your Potential with the Akashic Records
In this week’s Women, Work, Wellbeing podcast, I chat with Helen Snook, holistic wellness coach and Kundalini yoga teacher, about the Akashic Records – a tool for self-discovery and clarity. Helen shares an incredible transformation story – a client who, after discovering her true gifts, became a public speaker and author. This episode is about trusting yourself, using your voice,
How an Akashic Records Reading Changed My Life’s Direction
Have you ever felt like you’re juggling a hundred things—your career, your ambitions, your personal life—but still searching for that deeper sense of purpose? Like you’re working hard, showing up, doing all the right things, yet something still feels out of alignment? In this week’s Women, Work, Wellbeing podcast, I’m taking you on a personal journey—one that completely changed the
How to Take Control of Your Career: Lessons from Tessa Grint
How to Take Control of Your Career: Lessons from Tessa Grint Ever felt stuck in your job, unsure of how to move forward? Maybe you’ve been working towards a promotion you’re not even sure you want, or you feel like you’re constantly overlooked despite all the effort you put in. In this week’s Women Work Wellbeing podcast, I sat down
Finding Balance in Life and Work: How to Shift from Doing to Being
Finding Balance: How to Shift from Doing to Being Life often feels like a never-ending to-do list, doesn’t it? From work demands to family responsibilities, we’re constantly doing—but how often do we just be? In this week’s Women, Work, Wellbeing podcast, I, Zoe explore the importance of finding balance in life and work between doing and being, why society rewards
Here’s Everything You Need to Know about the Gender Pay Gap
Here’s Everything You Need to Know about the Gender Pay Gap + What You Can Do to Earn More Money The Gender Pay Gap Has Got Bigger – Here’s Everything You Need to Know + What You Can Do to Earn More Money It’s frustrating, isn’t it? Just when we thought we were making progress on closing the gender pay
How to be Hyper Focused at Work
How to be Hyper Focused at work Are you constantly feeling overwhelmed, distracted, and struggling to check items off your to-do list? If so, it might be time to try a new approach – one focused on the power of “hyper focus.” Hyper focus is the ability to concentrate intensely on a single task for an extended period of time,
How to soothe your nervous system in the daily juggles of life as a woman
Whether you work full or part time or you’re are a successful or aspiring entrepreneur, it’s all too easy to find yourself on the edge of burnout. As Zoe Haydn Jones, host of the Women Work Well-being podcast, so eloquently puts it, “our bodies are always whispering to us long before they scream.” In a recent episode, Zoe opened up
Empowering Women Through Self-Defense: Madeleine France on Confidence, Safety, and Community
In this episode, Zoe Haydn Jones welcomes Madeleine France, founder of Blossom Training and Development CIC, to discuss the transformative power of self-defence and its role in empowering women and communities. Madeleine shares her deeply personal journey from surviving a toxic relationship to building a successful organisation that has trained over 4,000 people in realistic self-defence techniques. Their conversation explores