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Employers across the UK have been recognised for “life-changing” progress in supporting colleagues through menopause and menstruation, as the 2025 Menopause and Menstruation Friendly Employer Awards highlighted the growing movement to normalise women’s health at work.
Hosted across three cities – London, Nottingham and Liverpool – and powered by headline sponsor Peppy, this year’s event marked a milestone in the evolution of menopause-friendly workplaces. Organised by Menopause Friendly, the awards celebrated organisations and individuals leading the way in practical, cultural and structural change.
Founder Deborah Garlick said the 2025 Awards demonstrated how employers are not just “raising the bar” for support, but “transforming lives” through meaningful action. She added:
“Since launching four years ago, we’ve seen extraordinary displays of leadership, courage and compassion. This year has shown unstoppable enthusiasm from employers determined to make change — not just for today, but for generations to come.”
For the first time, the 2025 Awards were embedded within a full day of speakers, panels and networking events across three regional venues, hosted by Standard Chartered, Boots/No7 Beauty Companyand QVC UK.
The format aimed to encourage greater collaboration and knowledge sharing among Menopause Friendly’s growing network of employers, health experts and advocates.
Garlick said:
“Of course we love a celebration of award-winning work, but what’s more important is sharing ideas, actions and best practice that have made a real difference to people’s lives. Coming together, learning from each other and offering support is where the magic happens.”
Record entries and diverse winners
The Awards once again spanned both public and private sectors, with winners ranging from major banks and NHS trusts to police services, local authorities, and even a professional football club.
Judges said 2025 delivered “record entries and exceptional standards”, reflecting how menopause and menstrual health have become mainstream issues within workplace wellbeing.
HSBC UK, including first direct and M&S Bank, was named Menopause Friendly Employer of the Year (Private Sector), while the Public Sector award was shared by London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust and Norfolk & Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust.
Other notable wins included:
AtkinsRéalis, winner of Most Open Culture – Menopause Friendly, and highly commended for Employer of the Year.
Lloyds Banking Group and Huddersfield Town AFC, joint winners of Most Open Culture – Menstruation Friendly.
Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service and Mars UK Ltd, joint winners of Most Menopause Friendly Working Environment.
Alzheimer’s Society, winner of Best Engagement Campaign.
Young Epilepsy and St Piers, winners of Best Trained Workforce.
Santander, winner of Best Peer-to-Peer Support.
Individual excellence was also recognised through the Carolyn Lazarus Award, honouring outstanding personal impact. This year’s recipients were Mandy Baughurst (Leicestershire County Council), Melanie Redfern (AtkinsRéalis), Sally Busby (Southeastern Railway), and Hayley Douglas (Cambridgeshire Fire & Rescue Service).
Judges said several categories resulted in joint winners due to “the scale and depth of positive change” achieved across entries.
The Awards also underscored the measurable impact of workplace action. Collectively, Menopause Friendly’s events have raised £217,000 for research and charities supporting women’s health, including the University of Bournemouth’s menopause and autism project, The Daisy Network, Menopause and Cancer and The PMDD Project.
Professional bodies such as BSI, CIPD, SOM and The Gym Group also contributed to the growing recognition that menopause and menstruation support must be embedded in long-term wellbeing strategies, not treated as one-off initiatives.
Cultural change, not compliance
What began as an awareness movement has now evolved into a major driver of workplace wellbeing, with many organisations integrating menopause and menstrual health into broader policies on inclusion, mental health and gender equity.
Garlick said the Awards demonstrate how genuine change depends on leadership commitment and open culture, rather than compliance-led approaches. She said:
“Workplaces that truly listen to colleagues’ experiences are leading a cultural shift, this isn’t a ‘nice-to-have’ wellbeing add-on, it’s about respect, retention and real inclusion.”
Research by Menopause Friendly has previously shown that structured menopause support leads to lower sickness absence, improved engagement and higher retention rates for midlife women — an age group often underrepresented in leadership roles.
Now firmly established as an industry benchmark, the Menopause & Menstruation Friendly Employer Awards are driving an ecosystem of collaboration between employers, health specialists and advocates.
Garlick said the community’s next goal is to sustain the pace of progress.
“These Awards remind us that lasting change comes from collective effort. Thanks to this community’s commitment, workplaces are being transformed, for colleagues today and for generations to come. With record participation, strong industry backing and demonstrable social impact, the 2025 Awards cement menopause and menstrual wellbeing as integral pillars of the UK’s workplace wellbeing movement. Together, we are changing lives – and that’s worth celebrating.”
