CVS Health recently earned a “menopause-friendly” accreditation from an organization seeking to help companies integrate menopause into their workplace culture. The efforts show how some employers are making deeper investments in benefits tied to the condition.
The healthcare company is the first US firm to earn the accreditation, according to a Mar. 13 press release. MiDOViA, the organization that grants the accreditation, has already awarded it to a number of UK-based employers, including Unilever and Boots.
More employers now see a return-on-investment from menopause programming, April Haberman, MiDOViA’s CEO and co-founder, told HR Brew. She said she expects these investments to continue to grow even as benefits with a DEI lens face some scrutiny in the US.
How CVS Health became “menopause friendly.” MiDOViA looks at five different areas when evaluating employers applying for an accreditation, said Haberman: policies and practices, training and education, working environment, employee engagement, and culture.
While a panel of third-party experts evaluate applicants, MiDOViA works with organizations to identify gaps in their menopause offerings and prepare them for the accreditation process.
“We obviously have the same goal,” Haberman said of MiDOViA members seeking to become “menopause-friendly” employers. “We’re not just working towards accreditation, but we want to make sure that they really are changing corporate culture and integrating menopause into the workplace.”
MiDOViA advised CVS Health, for example, on menopause training and education for its retail managers, she said. The company already had a menopause learning hub with training and resources, but MiDOViA provided an additional e-learning module that focused on issues pertinent to managers, such as handling menopause-related accommodation requests or sign-posting resources available to employees experiencing menopause.
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The investment in education and resources was a response to feedback from CVS Health colleagues who wanted support during “this critical time in their health journey,” Joanne Armstrong, the company’s VP and chief medical officer of women’s health and genomics, told HR Brew via email.
“We’re creating open forums for leaders to share their experiences and provide opportunities for all colleagues to attend menopause peer support groups,” she said. “We’re also offering tailored resources to support midlife health.”
CVS Health is also investing in menopause training for its clinicians and care managers, and has brought specialized providers into its Aetna insurance network, she added.
Recognizing ROI. Recent research has demonstrated the financial impact of menopause on the workplace, and more employers have started to see a return-on-investment from these benefits, Haberman said. “The US loses $1.8 billion annually based on workdays lost due to menopause symptoms, Mayo Clinic estimates,” HR Brew previously reported.
Still, it can be hard for HR leaders to find the budget for menopause offerings. Haberman said MiDOViA tries to emphasize the potential cost of turnover in discussions with employers.
“What we try to help organizations understand is that it costs two and a half times an annual salary to replace just one employee,” she said. “Menopause programming more than pays for itself if you can just retain one employee.”
Considering the possible effects of menopause on workers’ performance or productivity, CVS Health sees a clear return-on-investment, Armstrong suggested. “When employees receive the resources and support they need to live as healthy as possible, everyone benefits,” she said.