Five things organisations need to do differently from November onwards.
The webinars have finished. The guest speakers have gone home. The posters are coming down.
And somewhere, someone is already planning next October's menopause awareness campaign.
Wonderful.
But before we order another batch of branded desk fans, can we talk about what happens during the other eleven months?
Because menopause at work doesn't disappear on 1 November.
And neither do the management challenges.
So here are five things I'd like to see organisations doing differently.
1. Stop counting events. Start measuring what changes.
How many people attended your awareness session?
Interesting.
But how many managers are now better equipped to handle a difficult conversation, recognise when adjustments may be needed or manage performance fairly?
That's a much more useful question.
2. Stop making menopause everyone's responsibility and nobody's accountability.
HR, DE&I, occupational health, employee networks and wellbeing teams all have a role.
But who's responsible for making sure support works in practice?
And who's checking?
If nobody owns the outcome, all that awareness has a rather short shelf life.
3. Give managers something more useful than another policy.
Your menopause policy isn't sitting opposite an employee whose performance has changed.
Your manager is.
They need the judgement, confidence and practical capability to navigate those conversations without making assumptions, diagnosing anyone or avoiding difficult issues altogether.
4. Look beyond the employee who's already struggling.
Menopause at work isn't just about adjustments once someone raises their hand.
Look at recruitment, onboarding, development, promotion, performance management and retention.
Where might your existing practices be creating barriers that nobody has thought to question?
And what would your evidence tell you?
5. Make accountability a year-round activity.
Not another awareness day.
Not another glossy campaign.
Ask what has changed, what isn't working and what managers and employees are experiencing.
Then do something with the answers.
Welcome to the Menopause Afterparty.
No balloons. No bunting. No inspirational cupcakes.
Just some uncomfortable questions about what organisations are actually doing.
Awareness matters. It's where we start.
But awareness without allyship, action and accountability?
That's a very expensive way of standing still.
Menopause at Work: That Works.