Employers from across the UK have been recognised for their efforts to normalise conversations around menopause and menstruation and improve workplace support, at the 2025 Menopause and Menstruation Friendly Employer Awards.
Run by workplace training provider Henpicked: Menopause Friendly, the annual awards are now in their fourth year and have grown in size, reach and ambition. Winners span sectors including finance, local government, health, policing, education and non-profits.
This year’s format included three simultaneous daytime events in Nottingham, London and Liverpool on September 24, hosted by Boots and No7 Beauty Company, Standard Chartered and QVC respectively. Each event offered localised talks and panel sessions, before joining together for a shared virtual awards ceremony.
Winners Reflect Sector-Wide Commitment
HSBC UK, alongside first direct and M&S Bank, was named Private Sector Menopause Friendly Employer of the Year, while Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust and London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust shared the Public Sector title.
Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service was highly commended in the same category, and went on to win Most Menopause Friendly Environment – Public Sector.
Mars UK Ltd won the Private Sector Environment category for its workplace adjustments, with Kent Police highly commended.
AtkinsRéalis received the award for Most Open Culture – Menopause, recognising its leadership and normalisation of conversations, while Huddersfield Town Football Club and Lloyds Banking Group jointly won for Most Open Culture – Menstruation.
Santander took the Best Peer-to-Peer Support award, with highly commended mentions for Alzheimer’s Society, Northumbria Police, Young Epilepsy and St Piers, and London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust.
Alzheimer’s Society also won Best Engagement Campaign for awareness and outreach work.
Young Epilepsy and St Piers received the award for Best Trained Workforce, with Manchester City Council and Leicestershire County Council both highly commended.
Individual Contributions Also Recognised
The Carolyn Lazarus Award for Best Individual Contribution went to Mandy Baughurst, with further finalists including Melanie Redfern, Sally Busby, and Hayley Douglas, whose work at Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service was singled out for special mention.
Deborah Garlick, CEO of Henpicked: Menopause Friendly, said the standard of entries this year had been exceptional. She said her team was “delighted by the passion and determination” shown by both individuals and employers. Judges found some categories so competitive they chose joint winners.
She added that holding the awards alongside regional knowledge and networking events created a stronger sense of peer learning and community. Participants, she said, “left brimming with enthusiasm and ideas to continue their great work”.
Research and Charitable Impact
In addition to recognising employer progress, the awards programme raised £220,000 for research and charity partners. Beneficiaries include the University of Bournemouth’s work on menopause and autism, Menopause and Cancer, the Daisy Network and the PMDD Project.
Sponsors included Peppy, Boots, No7 Beauty Company, British Airways, Mars, QVC, Standard Chartered and Menopace by Vitabiotics, with additional support from professional bodies including BSI, CIPD, SOM and The Gym Group.
Mridula Pore, CEO and co-founder of Peppy, a healthcare provider, said the awards reflected a growing focus on proactive workplace health. She said employers recognised that support during key life stages helps staff feel valued and stay well, which benefits both people and business.
“When employees feel supported through life’s big health transitions, it makes work – and life – better for everyone,” she said.
What Employers Can Learn
Employers hoping to follow in this year’s winners’ footsteps are encouraged to:
- Establish clear menopause and menstruation policies
- Train managers to understand symptoms and signpost support
- Create peer networks or ambassador schemes
- Make practical adjustments such as uniforms, temperature controls and rest spaces
- Offer access to medical advice, either in-house or through external providers
Henpicked offers accreditation and support to organisations wishing to become menopause and menstruation friendly. Garlick said the change already underway in UK workplaces is “truly lifechanging for colleagues today and for generations to come”.