Creating a menopause-friendly culture goes far beyond policy with listening, learning and continuous improvement
As organisations prepare to publish Menopause Action Plans, E.ON is demonstrating that meaningful progress comes not from compliance alone, but from creating a workplace culture where colleagues feel genuinely supported.
Speaking during Henpicked’s Menopause Action: What Does Great Look Like? webinar, Becky Percy, Diversity and Inclusion Lead at E.ON UK, shared how the company has spent almost a decade embedding menopause support into everyday working life.
While E.ON became one of the UK's first menopause-friendly employers in 2017, Becky said the organisation quickly realised that launching a policy was only the beginning.
"The policy was the start. Anybody who has worked in HR will tell you it's not enough to have something written down on a piece of paper or on your intranet. It has to be something people feel and experience."
Since then, E.ON has focused on building a culture of trust, listening to colleagues and continuously evolving its approach based on employee feedback.
The importance of listening first
Rather than treating menopause support as a one-off initiative, E.ON has developed multiple ways for colleagues to shape its approach.
Regular menopause cafés now attract between 25 and 40 colleagues per session, with three or four held every month. The sessions are open to everyone, including men, colleagues of all ages and line managers looking to better support members of their teams.
Alongside the cafés, the company gathers feedback through colleague surveys, online communities and inclusion networks to ensure lived experiences continue to inform policy and practice.
"We wanted to create something practical," Becky explained. "One place where colleagues can understand the support available, prepare for conversations with their manager and access resources. Managers use exactly the same guide, so everybody is meeting in the same place."
That guide has evolved significantly since it was first introduced. Rather than remaining static, it is regularly reviewed with E.ON's menopause network and wider employee inclusion networks to ensure it reflects diverse experiences, including those of LGBTQ+ colleagues.
Deborah Garlick, CEO of Henpicked: Menopause In The Workplace said: "E.ON UK has shown that creating a Menopause Friendly workplace isn't about one initiative or one policy. It's about sustained commitment, listening to colleagues and continually building on success. The progress they've made over almost a decade is outstanding and exactly why the independent panel awarded them Menopause Friendly Accreditation. They are a brilliant example of what great looks like in action
Building trust through consistency
Becky said trust has become one of the most important measures of success: "When people hear others sharing their experiences and being treated with empathy and respect, that's what builds trust in the organisation."
She acknowledged that discussing menopause can feel like "a leap of faith" for many employees, making it essential that organisations create environments where colleagues feel psychologically safe to ask for support.
For E.ON, that has meant maintaining a consistent programme of communication and engagement over several years: "Even if it feels like you're saying the same thing, you might reach five, six or seven people who haven't heard it before. That consistency and drumbeat of communication is really important."
Measuring real impact
The organisation has also focused on measuring whether colleagues genuinely experience E.ON as a menopause-friendly workplace, rather than simply assuming initiatives are working.
The results show significant progress.
The proportion of colleagues who believe E.ON is a menopause-friendly employer has increased from 59% to 96% between employee surveys.
The latest findings also show:
• 86% of colleagues feel comfortable talking about menopause at work.
• 84% feel confident discussing menopause with their manager.
• 89% believe their manager is supportive.
For Becky, those figures demonstrate the value of sustained commitment rather than one-off activity.
"The continued commitment to embedding it and keeping the conversation going has made the difference."
As organisations across the UK prepare their Menopause Action Plans, E.ON's experience highlights that lasting change depends not only on policies, but on creating an inclusive culture where colleagues feel heard, supported and able to feel their best selves at work.