We're thrilled to be chosen as a finalist for the Make a Difference Award for the best provision of women's health and well-being support. Our nomination for the award acknowledges our commitment to supporting the women in our business, especially during pregnancy, parental leave and menopause.
As a business with nearly two-thirds of the workforce identifying as female, ensuring our women feel connected and supported is extremely important to us. One way we aim to do this is through the programs and policies in place for new parents. Maternity, paternity and adoption pay is offered to our people to help alleviate work-related stress and financial pressure. Employees are also sent a small gift box including a baby grow and good luck card to wish them well. Whilst on parental leave, our Flighties still have access to all company benefits including our BHSF health cash plan and employee assistance programme, which provides professional independent career counselling.
It is estimated that around 13 million women are currently perimenopausel or menopausal in the UK right now1. At Flight Centre Travel Group, we want to help create a culture of respect and openness for those who may be affected, which is why we have signed the Menopause Workplace Pledge. To accompany this, last year, we also launched our new menopause policy which aims to:
During the month of October, in recognition of Menopause Awareness Month, we hosted a webinar with an NHS nurse specialising in menopause, gynaecology and menstrual orders to further educate our business on the topic. This resource was then shared with the wider company and hosted on our intranet alongside our internal support contacts, menopause policy, and a profile of one of our people bravely sharing her personal experience with menopause. These initiatives were particularly successful as they encouraged an open dialogue and fostered a genuine sense of connection among employees.
We are extremely proud to be recognised for this award and remain devoted to enhancing the well-being of all of our employees. We will continue to evaluate the programs and policies in place while prioritising open communication amongst our people to ensure we are as effective as possible in this endeavour.