Diageo continues support for its employees through menopause

Diageo maintains a supportive focus on menopause in the workplace. As such, Diageo has become the first global company to make the balance+ menopause app available to its employees worldwide.

Founded by leading menopause expert, Dr Louise Newson, balance+ is the world’s first medically approved menopause health and wellbeing companion for perimenopausal and menopausal women.

balance’s mission is to help everyone be better informed, prepared and empowered during the perimenopause and menopause.

Putting power into women's hands

The enhanced balance+ version has been designed to put the power into women’s hands, allowing them to go to their doctor for treatment armed with the right knowledge. The app provides Diageo employees unparalleled access to specialist medically approved content to help optimize their mental health, nutrition, sleep, physical health, sexual health, skin and hair.

Recent research shows that 87% of users agree that they have been able to self-diagnose their perimenopause or menopause after using the app, and 74% feel more comfortable talking about the menopause at work.

Creating an inclusive workplace for all

The global launch supports Diageo’s commitment to create an inclusive place to work and raise awareness and understanding of subjects, like menopause, which can often be taboo. It follows the introduction of Diageo’s Thriving Through Menopause Guidelines for employees and line managers, and which are now live in over 40 countries.

The guidelines were created with Diageo’s Spirited Women Network and a number of other employees across the business who shared their perimenopause and menopause experiences, or those of their friends, partners or family members. To support the roll out of the balance+ app and to allow for continued open and trusted conversations on this often taboo subject, over 40 male and female employees around the world have been trained as Diageo menopause advocates and will work with their teams to help build their knowledge and raise awareness in this field.

Caroline Rhodes, Global Inclusion and Diversity Director at Diageo, said: “Since we launched our Thriving Through Menopause guidelines last year, we’ve been working to encourage all employees to better understand how menopause can impact women at work and home. Today’s roll out of thebalance+ app across Diageo goes beyond raising awareness. It will equip employees with leading medical advice, support and diagnosis, while helping us create a more inclusive and supportive environment for our people.”

Gaele Lalahy, COO of balance, said: “We are beyond thrilled to be working with the team at Diageo to deliver what is, in our opinion, the absolute best practice example on how to provoke change in an organisation globally and embrace the menopause in the workplace. This is a perfect and necessary opportunity to attract and retain more female talents, and ensure they thrive in their careers. Together with Diageo, balance will break taboos around menopause with a series of educational talks by our doctors, build capability and confidence by training the entire workforce in over 40 countries and distribute the evidence-based balance app and its health and wellbeing companion balance+, globally.”

Recognized as safe, accredited and compliant

The balance app is the only menopause app certified by ORCHA and recognised as safe, accredited, compliant, and trusted to feature in digital health libraries for the NHS and other national health bodies around the world.