Normalising The Conversation: Celebrating Menstrual Hygiene Day

Normalising the conversation: Celebrating Menstrual Hygiene Day

Published: 28 May 2025

Our menopause and menstruation strategy is one of several dedicated focus groups to promote diversity and inclusion across our female community as part of our Women Making Waves initiative.

ESG is not a tick box exercise for us; it’s part and parcel of what we do as a company on a daily basis. It shapes how we operate, how we support our people, and how we drive change.

Today (28 May) is Menstrual Hygiene Day, a day dedicated to normalising the conversation around menstruation globally. We understand that menstruation, perimenopause, and menopause can significantly impact our people's lives.

Statistics show that:

87% of people who menstruate say they have experienced stress or anxiety in the workplace because of their periods
25% have had to take time off and this has affected career progression
63% of people want the conversation to be normalised by their organisation
Only 39% report feeling supported in their workplace
27% say they never feel supported in their workplace
52% of workers say an inclusive wellbeing programme is a must when looking at joining an organisation

That's why we are committed to raising awareness, providing guidance, and offering support to ensure everyone can thrive at work.

We have established a strategy and dedicated menopause and menstruation working group to develop initiatives to raise awareness, offer support and deliver guidance.

Creating an inclusive, supportive workplace

We're taking some key actions to support our colleagues.

Providing period products: We are ensuring that period products are available in all bathrooms across all group locations.
Training and awareness: We will deliver menopause and menstruation training for line managers and awareness sessions for all colleagues.
Advocates for support: We are training menopause and menstruation advocates to provide guidance and support.
Dedicated resources: We are setting up a dedicated menopause and menstruation area that will include guidance, conversation guides, and symptoms checklists.
Working group initiatives: We have established a working group dedicated to driving initiatives that will normalise the conversation, break down barriers, challenge stigma, and help everyone be the best version of themselves.

We believe that creating an inclusive, supportive workplace is essential to helping our people thrive. We remain committed to normalising the conversation, driving awareness, and ensuring that no one feels they have to navigate these experiences alone. Because when we support each other, we all move forward together.