Partou signed the Menopause Workplace Pledge on 6 July and launched Partou & You: Talking Menopause, a dedicated hub for staff across its nursery support centre and nurseries nationwide. The move came after team feedback calling for greater understanding, clearer support and more open conversations about menopause.
The new hub bundles Partou’s menopause policy, a support guide on menopause and common symptoms, practical advice on how symptoms can affect work, a personal toolkit, a symptom tracker and guidance on how to use a dedicated menopause support line. It also includes Wellbeing of Women’s advice on building understanding and confidence.
Partou has more than 100 UK settings today and traces its history back to its first nursery in 1975. Last year, its UK nursery group ran 106 nurseries, cared for around 9,000 children and employed more than 2,000 staff, including 240 apprentices. Partou's Manchester Nursery Support Centre is the main hub for support staff, with many team members working remotely across the UK.
The pledge Partou signed sits inside a wider campaign launched by Wellbeing of Women in October 2021 with HELLO! Magazine and Bupa. Wellbeing of Women counts more than 7,800 employers and organisations among signatories, including the BBC, Tesco and Bupa, alongside councils, schools, charities and smaller businesses. Its employer guidance asks signatories to take at least one positive action each year toward becoming a menopause-positive workplace. At launch, Wellbeing of Women said women over 50 were the fastest-growing demographic in the workplace and that 1 in 10 women who worked during the menopause had left a job because of symptoms.
Partou’s people and culture director, Josie Mortimer, said the company was proud to sign the pledge and that many people continue to thrive at work during menopause, but that there may be times when extra support or a temporary adjustment helps. A June 2026 menopause workplace toolkit backed by Lancaster University and tested in eight UK organisations includes structured resources to improve retention, wellbeing and inclusive culture.