AtkinsRéalis first accredited Menopause Friendly engineering consultancy

Established by industry experts Henpicked: Menopause Friendly Accreditation is the only accreditation that sets and assesses clear and high standards. To achieve this accreditation, AtkinsRéalis was assessed by an independent panel and provided evidence of effectiveness in five key areas: culture, policies and practices, training, engagement, and working environment.

Andy Finch, menopause network sponsor and Managing Director - Aerospace, Defence, Security and Technology at AtkinsRéalis, said: “As an employer of more than 3,600 women in the UK, we have a responsibility to have visible initiatives and networks in place to share how we are supporting staff around menopause. Our Menopause Friendly Accreditation demonstrates that we are already complying with the new Government's commitment to require all companies with over 250 employees to produce a Menopause Action Plan.”

Deborah Garlick, CEO and founder of Henpicked: Menopause in the Workplace, said: “I applaud the excellent efforts of AtkinsRealis in achieving the Menopause Friendly Accreditation. Particularly impressive is how the organisation has engaged all staff in the conversation, recognising the importance of bringing men and younger colleagues on board. They are setting a strong example to the engineering industry and I hope others will be inspired by what they are doing.”

AtkinsRéalis has implemented a comprehensive approach to menopause support, including:

• Establishing a dedicated menopause network that provides peer-to-peer support, which has 700 members
• Developing policies and practices that address menopause-related needs, such as offering flexible working and requests for reasonable adjustments to the working environment
• Providing training and resources to increase awareness and understanding
• Creating a supportive and inclusive working environment

The impact of the initiatives was evident in employee feedback, with one employee sharing: “The AtkinsRéalis menopause forum was without bias and it was especially encouraging to see men taking an interest. It gives men and younger women an opportunity to not only be informed about and accept our symptoms, but support us through them.”

This achievement is the result of AtkinsRéalis’ global equality, diversity and inclusion (ED&I) programme and builds on its commitment to foster an inclusive workplace that supports all employees throughout their careers. AtkinsRéalis was recently listed in The Times Top 50 Employers for Gender Equality 2024 and was the first firm in the UK engineering sector to achieve the Clear Assured Platinum Standard accreditation for embedding ED&I.

Notes to editors

• Three-quarters of women will experience menopause symptoms and one-quarter could experience severe symptoms
• One-quarter consider quitting work due to menopause symptoms. One in 10 leave their jobs due to menopause symptoms
• 46% will not disclose symptoms, worrying it will be perceived negatively
• Women experiencing menopause are the fastest growing workforce demographic, with one-third of the workforce soon to be over 50, and retirement ages are now 68.

Source: Menopause and work: why it’s so important – Menopause in the Workplace | Henpicked

About AtkinsRéalis  

Created by the integration of long-standing organizations dating back to 1911, AtkinsRéalis is a world-class engineering services and nuclear company dedicated to engineering a better future for our planet and its people. We create sustainable solutions that connect people, data and technology to transform the world's infrastructure and energy systems. We deploy global capabilities locally to our clients and deliver unique end-to-end services across the whole life cycle of an asset including consulting, advisory & environmental services, intelligent networks & cybersecurity, design & engineering, procurement, project & construction management, operations & maintenance, decommissioning and capital. The breadth and depth of our capabilities are delivered to clients in strategic sectors such as Engineering Services, Nuclear and Capital.  News and information are available at www.atkinsrealis.com or follow us on LinkedIn.