World Menopause Day falls on 18 October each year, and increasingly, it’s the moment UK employers actually invest in menopause support rather than just talking about it. Here’s a planning guide for what works — workshop ideas, manager training options, and how to set up a session that lands rather than disappearing into the calendar.credibility, accuracy, and compassion.
📅 2026 World Menopause Day booking timeline June to mid-August: Best availability for 13-17 October delivery Mid-August to mid-September: Slots filling fast — book this fortnight to secure your date Late September onwards: Limited weekday availability. Virtual delivery still possible
When is World Menopause Day 2026?
World Menopause Day 2026 falls on Sunday 18 October. As a result, most UK employers mark it on the Monday 19 October or during the week of 13-17 October to maximise team attendance. Furthermore, October is increasingly recognised as Menopause Awareness Month more broadly — so many organisations spread their activity across two or three weeks of October rather than confining it to a single day.
Why World Menopause Day matters for employers
World Menopause Day was established by the International Menopause Society to raise global awareness of menopause and the support options available. For UK employers specifically, the day has become an annual focal point for menopause workplace activity — a moment when budget, attention and senior buy-in are easier to access than at other times of the year.
Furthermore, with the 2027 Equality Action Plan requirements approaching (employers with 250+ staff will publish menopause support commitments alongside their gender pay gap data), October 2026 is the natural moment for many organisations to begin their menopause action plan rollout.
What works at World Menopause Day events
Three things consistently land well with audiences:
1. Whole team Menopause Awareness session
A 60-minute GP-led Menopause awareness session is the most-booked World Menopause Day format. Specifically, it gives every employee — including male colleagues — a shared, accurate understanding of menopause. As a result, it normalises conversations and reduces stigma in a single hour.
Often paired with a NEW Menopause Awareness for Men companion session that addresses the male audience specifically.
2. Manager-only menopause training sessions
For organisations preparing for the 2027 requirements, October is the natural moment to roll out Menopause Training for Managers. Specifically, this is the government’s #1 recommended menopause action, and it’s GP-led so the content has clinical credibility. Furthermore, many organisations book the awareness session in the morning and the manager training in the afternoon — both delivered on the same World Menopause Day.
3. Leadership panels and fireside chats
For organisations wanting a more visible cultural moment, a panel discussion or fireside chat with senior leaders, clinical specialists and lived-experience voices is often the most memorable part of a World Menopause Day programme. As a result, panels work particularly well at all-hands events, leadership offsites and women’s network launches.
What doesn’t work
A few patterns to avoid:
- A one-off session with no follow-up. Most importantly, the workshops that stick are the ones positioned as the start of a menopause action plan, not as a standalone tick-box. As a result, most thoughtful organisations now book World Menopause Day as part of a wider rollout.
- A poster campaign with no workshop. Specifically, awareness messaging without practical skills-building is awareness theatre — it doesn’t shift retention or performance.
- A workshop with no senior visibility. Furthermore, sessions where senior leaders don’t show up signal to employees that menopause isn’t really a priority.
Not sure where to start? Download our free Menopause Action toolkit.
Planning a World Menopause Day that actually works
A coherent World Menopause Day programme has three phases:
Before the day (6-12 weeks ahead)
- Confirm your workshop slot and format
- Brief senior leaders on what they’re sponsoring (ideally one senior person opens the day)
- Communicate to the team early enough that they can attend
- Run a menopause awareness for men session in parallel if your culture supports it
The day itself
- Open with leadership communication that names something specific (not a generic “menopause matters” memo)
- Deliver the main workshop mid-morning when energy is highest
- For larger employers, run multiple sessions across the day to enable maximum attendance
- Close with a leader-fronted message that names what changes after the day, not just what happened during it
The week after (the part most organisations miss)
Specifically, the workshop landed, participants left motivated, and then nothing happens. As a result, this is where most organisations drop the ball.
Plan a single follow-up touchpoint — a manager check-in, a pulse survey, a “what we’re doing differently” comms piece — within 5-10 working days of the event. Furthermore, this is what turns awareness into change.
Beyond October: Embedding menopause support year-round
World Menopause Day is most powerful when it’s an annual reinforcement of a year-round commitment, not a standalone moment. Specifically, the strongest menopause programmes embed support across multiple touchpoints:
- March — International Women’s Day (often the moment to launch or refresh menopause awareness)
- June — Mid-year check-in via Carers Week or pulse survey
- October — World Menopause Day (your major annual moment)
- Year-round — manager training, 1:1 GP consultations, ongoing policy support
Furthermore, our Menopause Action Plan programme is built to deliver across the whole year rather than just October.
Why book with Stretching the City
Three things our World Menopause Day clients tell us we do well:
- GP-led clinical credibility — sessions delivered by Dr Lucie Ormerod, a UK GP with the British Menopause Society Certificate in the Management of the Menopause
- A programme, not a one-off — we design October sessions to land as the start of a wider menopause rollout, not as a tick-box
- Trusted by major UK employers — DBS, Latham & Watkins, char.gy, Takeda and The Open University
Ready to plan World Menopause Day 2026?
Book a 20-minute discovery call → — we’ll scope your event and confirm availability for October. Prefer to keep it on email? Drop us a line via the form below.
PLAN WORLD MENOPAUSE DAY
If your organisation is looking to support employees through menopause and build a more informed workplace culture, we would be happy to discuss how this session could fit into your wellbeing programme.
World Menopause Day at Work: FAQs
When should we book for World Menopause Day 2026?
Specifically, 6-8 weeks ahead. The 13-17 October week fills first each year, so booking between mid-July and mid-August secures your preferred date. Furthermore, if you’re reading this in September or later, get in touch this week — we’ll be honest about availability.
What workshop format works best?
The most-booked format is a 60-minute whole-team awareness session followed by a 90-minute manager-only training session on the same day. As a result, you get awareness across the workforce and capability built into your line managers in one coordinated activity. For larger employers, multiple sessions across the day enable wider attendance.
Can we include male colleagues?
Yes — and we’d recommend it. Specifically, we now offer a dedicated Menopause Awareness for Men session that addresses the male audience directly. As a result, men leave with the understanding and confidence to be supportive colleagues, managers and leaders — without feeling the session was just for women in the room.
Can the session be delivered virtually for global teams?
Yes. Virtual delivery is available globally — we’ve delivered World Menopause Day sessions to teams in North America, Europe, the Middle East and APAC. Specifically, for very dispersed teams, we typically run the same session twice in different time zones.
How does this fit with our 2027 action plan preparation?
World Menopause Day is the natural moment to launch a menopause action plan rather than running it as a standalone session. Specifically, our Menopause Action Plan programme uses October as the kickoff for a year-long rollout that delivers across all six government-recommended menopause actions.
How Alcohol Impacts Work, Wellbeing and Performance – And What Employers Can Do About It