Ella Gilbert
Timpson are a British retailer who provide various services such as shoe repairs and key cutting. However, they’ve made the news over recent months for how they support their staff. This week on World Menopause Day, the company announced that they would be covering prescription costs for HRT for employees going through the menopause.
Timpson CEO, James Timpson, took to twitter to reveal the company’s latest move to support their colleagues.
From today all my colleagues can claim on expenses their prescription costs when they are recommended HRT. It’s so important that we support our colleagues going through the menopause. #menopauseday
— James Timpson (@JamesTCobbler) October 18, 2021
October 18th 2021 signified World Menopause Day. The menopause affects around half the population, when the oestrogen levels of menstruators begins to decline and they eventually stop having periods altogether. However, menopausal symptoms can be severe and are still very much a taboo topic. Some people are prescribed hormonal replacement therapy (HRT), to make symptoms more manageable.
HRT, like most prescriptions in England, comes at a cost. This combined with the potential financial losses of repeated time off work can make the menopause extremely stressful. By announcing they would cover HRT prescriptions for staff, Timpson are recognising the struggles of the menopause and opening up conversations about it. They’ve also expanded their managerial training to include education on the menopause and how it might affect employees, something which would often otherwise be dismissed.
I will find out what Timpson is and buy it. ❤️ https://t.co/8ThxbjsZnk
— Katherine Ryan (@Kathbum) October 18, 2021
Support and Inclusion
Timpson have been applauded online for starting conversations about menopause and the workplace. As well as this, as a company they have addressed many other social issues and tried to create an inclusive and supportive workplace. Already, they offer mental health support to staff, and recruit from prisons to provide opportunities for ex-prisoners.
1 year ago this week I did my first day as a trial in a Timpson shop. 6 months ago I got my own shop as the manager. Today I am grateful to Timpson for giving me a chance as an ex prisoner. And proud of myself for achieving this in a challenging year.
— Jack Twigg (@JackTwigg4) October 8, 2021
The announcement has been well received on social media and there are hopes that it will inspire other companies to follow. Timpson’s unusual openness and support towards their staff is something to be admired, which we can only hope is explored in other countries too. Not only do happy employees work harder, but the reputation of the company has been significantly boosted by these moves. There are both moral and corporate gains from moves like these.
Could Timpson’s move spark conversations about how the menopause is handled in the workplace? And, will the positive reception of their announcement inspire other companies to follow suit?
Featured image courtesy of Lesley Salem via Unsplash. Image license can be found here. No changes have been made to this image.
Ella Gilbert
Ella is History and Spanish student at the University of Sheffield. She is the social media manager for Empoword and a keen writer for various publications. When not writing or studying (which is far more often than she'd like to admit), you can find her exploring the outdoors, going out for drinks with friends, or in bed with Netflix and TikTok.