Affected-Staff Module — Menopause at Work
45-min recorded session + PDF workbook. For colleagues experiencing menopause OR supporting a partner / family member. Non-clinical. Lifestyle, movement, sleep, signposting — never diagnosis, never prescription, never a substitute for OH or GP.
Boundary statement (read aloud at minute 0)
This is not medical advice. We will not diagnose menopause or any other condition, recommend HRT or any other medication, or substitute for a conversation with your GP, OH provider, or a qualified menopause specialist. What we will give you is: what to ask for at work, what your rights are, what's known to help with sleep, energy and movement, and where to go for the clinical bit.
Outcomes
By the end of 45 minutes the attendee will know:
- What their workplace rights are under the Equality Act 2010 and what reasonable adjustments to ask for.
- The three routes to disclose without losing control over who knows what.
- Five non-clinical, evidence-informed habits that the published research links to better sleep, energy and movement through perimenopause and menopause.
- Where to go for the clinical conversation (GP, OH, NHS menopause clinic, British Menopause Society register).
Runsheet (single facilitator OR recorded)
| Min | Slot | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 0–3 | 1. The boundary | Read the boundary statement above. Set the tone: this is your hour, not ours. |
| 3–10 | 2. Your rights at work | Equality Act 2010 (sex, age, disability). EHRC 2024 in one paragraph. The 5 default adjustments your manager can offer without escalation. |
| 10–17 | 3. The three disclosure routes | Line manager / HR / Menopause Sponsor — and what each one will and won't do with the information. You control who knows. |
| 17–32 | 4. Five habits that the research backs | Each habit gets 3 minutes: what it is, what the evidence says, one starting move. (Detail below.) |
| 32–40 | 5. Where to go for the clinical bit | GP first conversation. NHS menopause clinics. British Menopause Society specialist register. EAP. NEVER MEM as a clinical provider. |
| 40–45 | 6. Q&A + close | Workbook + signposting card. Cross-cutting close. |
The five non-clinical habits (research-informed, NOT medical advice)
These are the habits supported by published evidence in non-clinical, workplace and lifestyle contexts. Sources cited in the workbook; nothing prescribed.
Habit 1 — Strength training, 2× per week
The research most consistently associated with bone density, muscle mass and metabolic resilience through perimenopause is resistance training twice a week. MEM's PT-coached strength programme is one option; any qualified PT is another. The asset of the muscle you build at 50 is the asset you draw on at 70.
Habit 2 — Sleep anchors, not sleep hacks
Wake time is the lever; sleep time is the consequence. The two anchors that the evidence supports: (a) same wake time, 7 days a week, +/- 30 min, and (b) 30+ minutes of daylight in the first 2 hours of the day. Both compound. Neither requires a product.
Habit 3 — Protein at breakfast
The research base for blood-sugar stability, satiety and muscle protein synthesis suggests 25–30g of protein within 90 minutes of waking. This is one habit, not a diet plan. We are not dietitians; if you want a meal plan, your GP can refer you to a registered dietitian.
Habit 4 — Walk after meals
10 minutes of walking after any meal has the strongest effect on post-meal glucose stability among single-habit interventions in the published research. Free, fits a workday, no equipment.
Habit 5 — One thing that lowers the load
The single research-backed predictor of how well someone moves through menopause is perceived stress and demand. Whatever lowers that load in your life — one fewer evening commitment per week, a delegated task, a "no" you've been postponing — is the highest-leverage move. We can't tell you which one. You can.
Workbook contents (PDF, 12pp)
- p1 — Cover + your name
- p2 — Boundary statement + what this is NOT
- p3 — Your rights at work in plain English
- p4 — The 5 reasonable adjustments — tick the ones you'd like to ask for
- p5 — Disclosure: who will know what, depending which route you choose
- pp6–10 — The five habits, one page each, with a 7-day starter plan
- p11 — Where to go for the clinical conversation (signposting card)
- p12 — Close + cross-cutting
Materials
- Recorded 45-min session (single facilitator, ungated, no upsell)
- PDF workbook (downloadable, branded)
- Signposting card (digital + print — same as the manager quick-card with the staff-side text)
- One MEM PT coach available for the optional follow-up "5 habits in your week" Q&A drop-in
What's deliberately NOT here
- No symptom checklist that could be mistaken for diagnosis
- No HRT for/against framing — that conversation is for the person and their GP
- No supplement recommendations
- No "fix-it-in-30-days" promise
- No paywalled gating of the clinical signposting
Cross-cutting promise Every UK employee seat in MEM funds a free seat for someone leaving prison. Audited SROI in every board report. Want this adapted for your sector? Book a 20-min discovery call: memacademy.org/corporate/programme