Case Study 24: Tesco plc – Menopause Support Policy and Retail Innovation

• Initiated: 2018 (Guide), 2022 (Enhanced Campaign) – Ongoing
• Provider: Royal Mail Group (RMG), in partnership with CWU and GenM
• Target Group: All Royal Mail employees, with a focus on ~16,500 women
• Goal: To normalise menopause conversations, raise awareness, and provide practical workplace support so that no employee is held back in their career due to menopause-related symptoms.
  Key Actions
• Developed first menopause guide for managers in 2018, covering symptoms, impacts, and support practices
• Collaborated with the Communication Workers Union (CWU) to co-develop policies
• Launched the “Let’s Talk Menopause” campaign in 2022 focused on:

○Leading with empathy

○Raising awareness

○Normalising conversations

○Providing education and support

• Formed internal working group including men and women
• Signed the Wellbeing of Women Menopause Workplace Pledge
• Became a founding partner of GenM
• Established an internal menopause peer group and a dedicated intranet hub
  Impact
• Strengthened support for 16,500+ women employees
• Increased internal awareness and openness about menopause
• Organisational commitment demonstrated via national partnerships and pledges
• Validated through collaboration with GenM, CWU, and Wellbeing of Women
  Lesson Learned
• Union-management collaboration enhances credibility and reach
• A phased approach (policy first, culture second) builds momentum
• Inclusion of men in design stages broadened organisational buy-in
• Ongoing data collection and tailoring are needed for different job types (e.g. delivery vs. office roles)
  Success Factors
• Public leadership commitment
• Co-design with employee representatives
• Holistic campaign addressing policy, culture, and awareness
• External partnerships for credibility and resources
• Creation of accessible internal support networks
  Sustainability
• Embedded in Royal Mail’s wider health and wellbeing frameworks
• Continuous training for managers and updating of intranet resources
• Sustained communication via internal campaigns and pledge visibility
• External collaboration ensures accountability and knowledge-sharing