Become an Accredited Organisation

A significant proportion of our lives is spent in the workplace, where health is not a peripheral concern but a fundamental driver of performance, wellbeing, and equity. Despite this, workplace systems have historically been designed around a narrow understanding of the “standard” employee, often overlooking the varied and cyclical nature of human health.

This gap is especially pronounced for women and other marginalised groups, whose experiences of menstruation, hormonal change, reproductive health, and caregiving responsibilities have too often been treated as secondary to productivity rather than integral to it.

This accreditation exists to reframe that imbalance. It sets out a clear expectation that workplaces must be designed with a fuller understanding of human biology, lived experience, and social context.

By embedding inclusive health literacy, compassionate policy, and accountable leadership, it challenges organisations to move beyond minimal compliance and towards environments where wellbeing and performance are not in tension, but in alignment.

Menstruation

Workplaces are expected to normalise menstruation as a standard health matter, not a source of stigma. This includes access to appropriate sanitary products, flexible breaks when needed, and non-judgmental absence policies for pain or heavy symptoms. Line managers should be trained to respond discreetly and without requiring disclosure beyond what the employee is comfortable sharing. Facilities should be inclusive, accessible, and available without barriers or embarrassment.

Menopause

Workplaces must treat menopause as a workplace wellbeing and performance consideration, not a private inconvenience. This includes reasonable adjustments such as temperature control, flexible working patterns, access to rest spaces, and workload flexibility during symptom flare-ups. Managers should be trained to recognise cognitive and physical symptoms without penalising performance unfairly, and employees should feel safe discussing needs without stigma.

Medical Leave

Accredited workplaces are expected to provide clear, fair, and stigma-free access to medical leave for both short-term and long-term health conditions. This includes chronic illnesses, recurring conditions, diagnostic appointments, and recovery periods that may not fit traditional absence patterns. Policies should avoid forcing employees into binary “fit/unfit” judgments and instead support fluctuating capacity through flexible adjustments, phased returns, and adaptable workloads. Employees should not be penalised for legitimate health-related absences, and managers must be trained to handle medical information sensitively, maintaining confidentiality and focusing on practical support rather than scrutiny. Reasonable adjustments should be proactive, not reactive, and embedded into standard HR practice rather than treated as exceptional cases.

Migration

Accredited workplaces recognise the distinct challenges faced by migrant workers and individuals navigating cultural transition, including language barriers, unfamiliar workplace norms, and potential isolation. Employers are expected to provide equitable access to information, training, and progression opportunities regardless of first language or cultural background. This includes clear communication in accessible language, availability of translation or interpretation support where needed, and culturally competent management practices. Organisations should actively ensure that migrant and marginalised voices are included in decision-making processes rather than excluded by informal networks or cultural assumptions. Induction and onboarding should address cultural integration explicitly, helping employees understand both formal expectations and unwritten workplace norms. Above all, workplaces should foster a sense of belonging that does not require assimilation at the expense of identity.

Miscarriage

Organisations should provide compassionate, flexible leave policies that recognise miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, and other forms of pregnancy loss. Employees should not be required to “prove” loss in intrusive ways. Managers are expected to respond with sensitivity, offering time off, phased return-to-work options, and access to counselling or employee assistance services. Colleagues should be protected from inappropriate questioning or speculation.

Maternity

Accredited workplaces ensure full compliance with maternity protections, but go beyond legal minimums. This includes clear communication of rights, protection from discrimination during pregnancy, flexible antenatal appointments, and safe working conditions. Return-to-work pathways should be structured, supportive, and flexible, with consideration for phased return, hybrid options, and role adjustments where needed.

Misconduct

Workplaces must maintain clear, accessible, and trusted mechanisms for reporting misconduct, including bullying, harassment, discrimination, and abuse of power. Accreditation requires that reporting systems are easy to navigate, offer multiple channels (formal and informal), and protect individuals from retaliation or adverse consequences. Investigations should be timely, impartial, and trauma-informed, with outcomes communicated clearly where appropriate. Leaders are expected to model respectful behaviour and intervene early in problematic dynamics rather than waiting for escalation. Psychological safety should be embedded into organisational culture so that employees feel able to raise concerns without fear, cynicism, or career damage. Repeat or systemic issues must be addressed at organisational level, not treated solely as individual disputes.

Men’s Mindsets & Allyship

Workplaces should support men’s physical and mental health while also actively engaging male employees in understanding gendered health experiences and workplace equity. This includes education around menstruation, menopause, reproductive health, pregnancy loss, and hormonal wellbeing, with the aim of building informed and empathetic colleagues who can better support inclusive working environments. Accredited organisations are expected to provide structured learning opportunities that help men recognise how biological and social factors can shape workplace experiences differently across genders, and how to respond appropriately and respectfully in practice. This is not about positioning men as observers, but as active participants in creating equitable conditions through everyday behaviour, communication, and leadership. A key expectation is that men are supported to develop confidence in engaging with these topics in a non-awkward, non-invasive, and respectful way that reduces stigma and improves team culture overall.

Menopause

Mental Health

Organisations must embed mental health support into everyday culture, not treat it as a reactive service. This includes trained managers, psychologically safe reporting structures, reasonable workload expectations, and access to timely support. Employees should be able to disclose mental health needs without fear of stigma or career impact. Regular check-ins, workload monitoring, and proactive wellbeing design are key expectations.

Menstrual & Hormonal Literacy

Accredited workplaces are expected to demonstrate a baseline understanding of menstrual and hormonal health as a normal aspect of human biology that can influence energy, cognition, mood, and physical wellbeing. This includes menstrual cycles, ovulation-related changes, perimenopause, menopause, fertility treatment, and hormone-related conditions such as PCOS or thyroid imbalance. Managers should be trained to recognise that variation in performance or availability may be linked to predictable biological fluctuations rather than inconsistency or lack of capability. Organisations should provide flexible working arrangements where needed, without requiring unnecessary disclosure or medical justification beyond what the employee is comfortable sharing. The goal is to embed hormonal literacy into everyday management practice so that support is proactive, informed, and stigma-free.

Management & Workplace Responsibility

Accredited workplaces are expected to ensure that leadership and management systems actively uphold all inclusion and wellbeing standards rather than delegating responsibility to individuals. This includes manager capability, accountability structures, consistent policy application, and the expectation that inclusive practice is embedded into everyday decision-making. Leaders must be trained and assessed on their ability to recognise intersectional needs, respond appropriately to disclosures, and create psychologically safe environments. Responsibility for inclusion is treated as a core management competence, not an optional value or HR function.

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