Renfrewshire Council, the 9th largest council in Scotland by head of population serving communities across west-central Scotland, has been awarded Menopause Friendly Accreditation. With 75% of its 8,500 staff female and 46 the average age of employees, managing menopause in the workplace is of paramount importance to the Council. Having staff spread across multiple sites including 64 schools, care facilities, council offices and community sites, required Renfrewshire Council to really listen to what its employees needed in terms of support and to find ways to reach everyone with training, engagement and resources.
Key culture changes included introducing paid menopause leave, launching ‘Let’s Pause’ monthly get-togethers and creating accessible virtual learning events as part of its RenTalks Learning for Life sessions. The RenTalks offer insight from expert speakers on a range of topics as diverse as lifestyle medicine hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for managing symptoms. To ensure they are fully accessible, the sessions are recorded and made available on the Council’s e-learning platform for all staff.
Being menopause friendly supports the Council’s commitment to making every colleague feel valued, respected and able to thrive. The accreditation process has helped normalise conversations, reduce stigma and encourage people to share their experiences, reinforcing organisational values and demonstrating investment in colleagues’ wellbeing.
Established in 2021 by Henpicked: Menopause in the Workplace, the Menopause Friendly Accreditation certifies high standards and proven practices and is an industry-recognised mark of excellence. To achieve accreditation, Renfrewshire Council was assessed by an Independent Panel and demonstrated effectiveness across culture, policies and practices, training, engagement and working environment.
Achieving the Menopause Friendly Accreditation moved the Council from stating support to demonstrating it through recognised, independently assessed standards, providing credible assurance that its approach meets a trusted benchmark of good practice.
“Receiving Menopause Friendly Accreditation is a great endorsement of our approach to looking after our employees’ wellbeing and helping everyone to be happy, healthy and productive at work,” says Fiona Sinclair, Organisational Development Advisor and Menopause Champion at Renfrewshire Council.
“As our Menopause Champion, I’ve seen first-hand the difference it makes when people feel genuinely supported and listened to. Menopause can be an incredibly challenging time and knowing that our colleagues don’t have to face it alone is something I’m proud of.
“Our senior leadership, managers, trade unions and elected members have backed this work wholeheartedly, not just in words but in real, practical action which has created a culture where compassion, understanding and inclusion truly matter,” continues Fiona. “This accreditation recognises that shared effort but, for us, it’s not the end point. We’re constantly learning, improving and strengthening the support we offer to enhance the health and wellbeing of all our people.”
“Renfrewshire Council achieving Menopause Friendly Accreditation is a brilliant example of what meaningful, organisation-wide commitment looks like,” says Deborah Garlick, Founder and CEO of Henpicked. “This is about listening carefully to colleagues across very different roles and locations, acting on what they say and embedding support in ways that are practical, inclusive and accessible. The Council has created a culture where menopause can be spoken about openly, stigma is challenged and people feel genuinely supported to thrive at work and that is exactly what this accreditation is designed to recognise.”
To learn more, visit www.menopausefriendly.co.uk
