“We’re helping people to have conversations and feel better about menopause”

At a glittering awards ceremony in The Royal Lancaster London, stand-out employers were recognised for their work in implementing training and support on menopause in the workplace.

The 2024 Menopause Friendly Employer Awards event on 11 September was organised by Henpicked: Menopause in the Workplace, a training provider and coordinator of the Menopause Friendly Accreditation.

Louise Furby, senior events and communications manager at Specsavers and founder of the group’s first menopause employee network, MenoTalk, was one of two people recognised during the awards ceremony with the Carolyn Lazarus Award for best individual contribution. The award is given in memory of Carolyn Lazarus, founder of totally4women. 

Talking to OT about the award, Furby explained that she was not aware she had been put forward by MenoTalk’s co-chair and deputy-chair until the shortlist of nominees was announced.

“I don’t do this for myself, I do it to help other people,” she said, adding: “To have an award for your contribution both personally and professionally – it shows that your reach has gone a little bit further.”

TV and radio presenter, Lisa Snowdon, hosted the black-tie awards ceremony, which recognised winners across nine categories.

“It was lovely to be in a room full of people who are all working towards the same goal,” Furby said, adding: “It was nice to connect with people who I have spoken to online over the years in-person. That was a real highlight of the evening.”

It was lovely to be in a room full of people who are all working towards the same goal

 

Furby was joined at the ceremony by MenoTalk co-chair, Caroline Milliken, and the group deputy chair, Kevin Furby who leads on allyship activity, along with the board sponsor, Paul Fussey, and diversity and inclusion representatives from Specsavers.

“It was really important that the people who have supported us in Specsavers to implement what we’ve been trying to do over the last four years were able to experience it as well,” she said, adding: “It was important for us to share it with them so they could see the difference they have made.”

Following the awards ceremony, OT asked Furby to look back on the progress of MenoTalk and the effect that raising awareness of menopause in the workplace can have amongst colleagues.

Making a tangible difference to colleagues

When the MenoTalk network launched, the only focus was to reduce stigma around menopause and to encourage people to feel comfortable with the topic, and this remains a core value of the group.

“Four or five years ago, there was a feeling that menopause only impacted women who were a certain age,” Furby said. “We made it very clear from day one with MenoTalk that it effects everybody – 50% of the population directly, and the other 50% indirectly.”

She added: “Our goal was always, and will continue to be, to make all of our colleagues understand that they play a part – whether it be supporting somebody going through menopause or preparing themselves for their own journey. That goal will never change.”

In 2023, Furby described the process of establishing MenoTalk. Read the article here. 

Our goal was always, and will continue to be, to make all of our colleagues understand that they play a part

With a greater general awareness of menopause, the network is now exploring targeted messaging in order to recognise the effects of menopause in different groups of individuals.

“Opening up the stigma will always be the focus for us,” Furby emphasised.

Providing tangible support for colleagues experiencing menopause has been on the agenda for the network.

Specavers employees who are members of the group’s health and benefits package can access financial support for menopause consultations and treatments, and last year, the company introduced a policy to refund the annual hormone replacement therapy prescription of colleagues in England.

“We’re making tangible differences in the lives of our colleagues. Offering them financial support and access to care is a big part of that,” Furby said.

 

Confidence through training

Specsavers rolled out its menopause training to colleagues in 2021 and has since introduced manager training, bite-size modules, and quick learning techniques.

Furby explained that there can be a fear of saying the ‘wrong thing’ or using incorrect language, but emphasised that starting the conversation in the first place is what really matters.

A key aim of the training is to give colleagues the confidence to have these discussions.

“We say that we don’t expect people to know the correct terminology, but we do expect them to ask: ‘what do you need to help you?’ To understand and be able to have a good, strong conversation without having to be an expert,” she shared.

Reflecting on the reception the training has received from colleagues, Furby said: “The biggest surprise for me, in a really positive way, is the number of male colleagues who have reached out to say: ‘Thank you. What you have provided enabled me to have really good conversations with my other half, my spouse, with my team’.”

While at the Menopause Friendly Employer Awards ceremony, Furby was approached by a woman whose next-door neighbour works for Specsavers and had told her about the work of MenoTalk and the difference it had made for him and his wife.

“Word of mouth is the strongest praise you could wish for,” she said.

We say that we don’t expect people to know the correct terminology, but we do expect them to ask: ‘what do you need to help you?

 

Furby shared a story from a male colleague who had been speaking to a woman experiencing some physical issues, and realised because of the training, that she could be going through menopause.

“He opened the conversation, and she was struck that he was confident enough to say it and knew enough to have a conversation. In his words, his ‘menopause training kicked in.’” she said.

“It is so brilliant that we empowered him to feel comfortable and confident enough to have those conversations. Every time I read those kinds of messages, I get a little bit choked up because we’re helping people to have conversations and feel better about menopause. You can’t put a measure on that,” she continued.

The training is also helping practice teams in conversations with patients who may be going through menopause.

If a colleague encounters a patient who has attended for a sight test but is experiencing menopause symptoms, such as dry eyes, Furby suggested: “they can feel confident enough to have a conversation about, not only the products, but the symptoms that are causing dry eye.

The work of MenoTalk continues, as the network has begun a journey in menstruation accreditation.

“We’re starting to dip our toe into the water of menstruation health and hormone health,” Furby said, explaining: “Hormone health is not just menopause, there are lots of other areas of hormone health and it is for men and women.”

The team plans to take the same approach as they did for menopause health, in starting the conversation, providing training, and reducing stigma.

Furby explained: “We’ll take everything we have learned through MenoTalk and repeat that process.”

Pictured (left to right): Louise Furby receives the Carolyn Lazarus Award. Chad and Daisy Lazarus, son and daughter of Carolyn Lazarus, with Louise Furby and Lisa Snowdon.