Fulham Football Club, London’s original football club with a long-standing presence in the Premier League, has been awarded the Menopause Friendly Accreditation.
Encompassing all its staff - from its head office at Motspur Park to Craven Cottage – Fulham FC’s menopause friendly practices have shifted its workplace culture, despite its male-dominated environment.
The industry-recognised Menopause Friendly Accreditation was established by Henpicked: Menopause In The Workplace in 2020. As the only accreditation that sets clear standards which must be met, the Menopause Friendly Accreditation is truly meaningful and considered a mark of excellence for menopause in the workplace.
Fulham FC started with a comprehensive training and awareness programme to show its commitment to the Club’s female workforce. Importantly, it recognised the need to provide its male workforce with the opportunity to learn and understand more about menopause and how it can affect people around them both at work and in their personal lives.
In order to achieve the Menopause Friendly Accreditation, Fulham FC was assessed by an independent panel and had to demonstrate evidence of its effectiveness in five key areas, namely: culture, policies and practices, training, engagement and working environment.
Sitting at the core of Fulham FC’s menopause friendly practices is its bespoke Menopause Policy created in October 2024 following open discussions with colleagues regarding the knowledge and support they needed. Alongside this policy, these specific engagement opportunities really helped change the culture:
- The bespoke Stella programme and app which gives staff members access to an appointment with a menopause clinician, including a health check and options for HRT and/or CBT support
- Menopause Awareness Sessions for all staff, with CEO Alistair Mackintosh leading from the front by attending the first session
- Inclusion of a detailed three-hour menopause session within its mandatory people management training to encourage productive conversations around staff asking for reasonable adjustments to improve their working lives
Caron Streeter, Fulham's Head of People, said: “We are incredibly proud to receive the Menopause Friendly Accreditation and it has given us valuable recognition for the significant strides we've made in the menopause space."
“At Fulham Football Club we recognise our staff as being a huge asset and supporting their wellbeing through all stages of life, including menopause, is incredibly important to us.
"Receiving this accreditation demonstrates our commitment to our staff and although our workforce is predominantly male, this highlights how we have created an inclusive environment and culture where menopause is regularly spoken about and no one feels uncomfortable talking about what once was a rarely discussed subject.
"We look forward to continuing to provide advice, support and training to all staff to demonstrate our long term commitment in this space.”
Fulham FC wanted the Menopause Friendly Accreditation to openly show its commitment to employee wellbeing and encourage people to come forward for menopause friendly conversations. Furthermore, it hopes to attract more female staff by reassuring them that menopause in the workplace is recognised and respected at the Club.
Deborah Garlick, founder and CEO of Henpicked: Menopause in the Workplace, said: “Fulham FC shows how important it is for male-dominated workplaces to be menopause friendly.
“Having buy-in early on from its male CEO and ensuring men are included in the awareness and training sessions have been key to ensuring more comfortable and regular conversations around menopause. This, in turn, has created a vital culture shift so that now people experiencing menopause are both seen and heard.”
