The theme of International Women’s Day 2025 is #AccelerateAction.To celebrate, our Communications Manager Suzanne Roberts outlines why #TeamKSB has prioritised discussing women’s health in the workplace, particularly menopause, over the past 18 months. She calls for faster, real and practical action to be taken by other environmental charities and organisations in Scotland and further afield to prevent talent being lost.
1 in 4 women consider leaving their jobs due to menopause-related symptoms.[1]
I’ve worked for Keep Scotland Beautiful for more than two decades. I’m approaching 50. I’ve plenty of skills, detailed organisational memory, years of experience, learnings and contacts, but four years ago I stopped believing I had a place here – I didn’t feel I contributed positively to #TeamKSB. I was anxious, didn’t feel able to present in front of people, couldn’t hold my thoughts in order, forgot things - including people’s names - and sometimes sat in the car for ages building up energy to come in and face colleagues. And I’m not even going to mention the physical symptoms and challenges my body was putting me through. I felt broken, but I didn’t share this. And while I didn’t leave my role, I certainly didn’t feel I deserved to be here in a management position.
This is quite an uncomfortable blog to craft. It’s personal. Normally I find the voices of others and write in their name. But with so many women facing menopause in silence and left to navigate hormone health alone, I felt I needed to share my journey, and that of Keep Scotland Beautiful. Because change needs to accelerate when it comes to menopause in the workplace, and indeed in society.
#TeamKSB is 60% women, quite a common split in the environmental charity sector. This means that many of my colleagues have either lived through the menopause, are currently wrestling with changes or are still unaware of what may come. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of positive experiences I have since heard about, but for me, those initial confusing years were a battle – and I don’t want others to have to feel as I did.
Menopause isn’t just a women’s issue. It impacts everyone: families (partners, children, parents), colleagues in the workplace and society as a whole, but like so many other challenges we often don't share our experiences for fear of being judged.
So, what changed my journey – and how can it help others?
Well, I started listening to brave colleagues who tentatively shared what they were going through. I heard, and I realised, that perhaps how I felt wasn’t something to keep secret. I am a firm believer that once said out loud a problem somehow seems less.
So, together with a small group of others, we started to chat, almost in a candid code, and then more openly. Then we began to think – what changes would help in our workplace?
And this is why over the past 18 months or so #TeamKSB has been working to develop its first policy and an action plan to support us all to understand the challenges and opportunities that menopause brings.
We don’t want talent walking out the door and we’re committed to ensuring that all members of #TeamKSB feel supported in the workplace.
So, as a first step we invested time and resources to do the following:
- Draft a Menopause Policy, approved by our Board of Charity Trustees and shared internally with all employees.
- Identify training for members of the working group developing the policy and create time for attendance and feedback to the wider group.
But, it isn’t just about having a policy and training, it is about normalising conversations and discussions, so we have also:
- Organised all staff conversations in person and online and invited all to attend and hear more about the issue, the policy and our plans to support people going forward.
- Hosted ‘cuppa and catch ups’, open to all, to encourage people to ask questions and share experiences.
- Identified key people in #TeamKSB who are happy to speak privately to anyone who doesn’t want to chat with other colleagues on what is a very personal subject.
And looking to the future, we aim to continue our work to support women in the workplace. We are planning our first ‘Menopause Munchies’ session to experiment with food and learn more about the tasty treats that can support hormonal health.
Menopause costs the UK economy 14 million work days every year.[2]
We recognise that hormonal health affects women at all stages of their careers, and while we have started with a Menopause Policy, we are considering how best we support all women impacted by hormone health issues, how we ensure that we minimise the number of days taken off work by being flexible and supportive of individual needs, and how we best support managers to back their team members.
The best workplaces proactively develop a space where women can thrive, so experienced and passionate people aren’t lost. I’m proud to say that Keep Scotland Beautiful is one of those workplaces and that we are committed to retaining the knowledge and experience that the women of #TeamKSB bring to ensure our activities are innovative and inspiring.
And, we are determined to support others to develop their own Menopause Policy in the environmental charity sector. This is why we have shared our policy, a working and expanding one, with Scottish Environment Link as a template for others - EDI Templates - Scotlink.
It is also why one of our colleagues will be sharing best practice on menopause, alongside the Whale and Dolphin Conservation on 23 April as part of Scottish Environment LINKs EDI fortnight activity.
You can register to attend the event for free and book on Eventbrite today.
“I started my menopause journey a few years ago and found it frustrating, isolating, confusing and overwhelming trying to navigate all the information, guidance and advice that’s out there, and figuring out what the best options for me were in terms of HRT. I’ve always been someone that’s happy to talk to people and share experiences, so opening up to colleagues at Keep Scotland Beautiful, and discovering that there were others going through similar, was reassuring and supportive at the same time. I feel lucky to be part of an organisation that is ensuring they get it right in terms of the support they offer to staff, and to have colleagues who are happy to chat about their experiences too…the more people who are open about how menopause affects them (whether its themselves or someone in their family going through it), the more normalised it will become. This is the reason I’m speaking during SELink’s EDI Fortnight about Keep Scotland Beautiful’s menopause journey, along with Sian from Whale and Dolphin Conservation, so that other organisations can learn and be inspired by our actions…and feel connected and part of a supportive network – we’re all going through this so we might as well do it together.”
Juliette Camburn, Senior Community Initiatives Officer
Personally, I have been lucky to have supportive friends who urged me to seek medical help, a partner who even bought me Davina’s McCall’s book after hearing her on the radio and told me it wasn’t my fault…. and empathetic colleagues who have allowed me to find space to think clearly and give my best performance, got me back out running and encouraged me to take time out when it all gets too much.
Yes, I still feel anxious, I still forget names of simple things and whether I sent that important email, I still feel overwhelmed far more than I remember being ten years ago, but I have accepted that I need medical help, that taking HRT works for me - so far.
One of the unexpected and really rewarding benefits I’ve clocked after starting the menopause conversation in the workplace has been the strengthened bonds with people I was already friends with, and surprisingly, the door for friendships to develop with other colleagues, of all genders, has opened as we go over common ground, shared experiences and sometimes have a good old cry!
My key take homes, as I reflect on this International Women’s Day, are:
- Menopause isn't a weakness or a fight against yourself as I thought it was. It's a season of life. Accept the help you need whether that be medical, homeopathic or conversational.
- We must respect all individuals, of all genders, and their journey. Don’t forget that those you live and work alongside are also going through their own journeys as their partners and colleagues shift through the transition.
- It is so important to talk, listen and understand – never assume you are alone, or that everyone is feeling the same.
- Creating a culture of care – not just for this issue, but all health issues – is vital. As always be kind and work through the challenges. Simple shifts from managers to make workplace adaptations at a personal level can make a world of difference to individuals – being told it was ok to take time out, to be reassured I was still valued really helped me rebuild my confidence.
Most of importantly we must all talk, share and laugh with other strong women. We aren't broken, merely evolving.
We’ve got this!
[1] 2022, Fawcett Society Menopause and the Workplace report
[2] 2024, Gov.uk Shattering the silence of menopause progress report.
