Diageo rolls out balance+ menopause app globally

Diageo on Friday announced that it has made the balance+ menopause app available to all its employees worldwide.

Founded by leading menopause expert Dr Louise Newson, balance+ is the world’s first medically approved menopause health and wellbeing companion for perimenopausal and menopausal women.

Diageo claimed it’s the first global company to make the app available to employees. The app will give all Diageo employees unparalleled access to specialist medically approved content to help optimise their mental health, nutrition, sleep, physical health, sexual health and skin and hair.

Recent research from balance shows that 87 per cent of users agree that they have been able to self-diagnose their perimenopause or menopause after using the app, and 74 per cent feel more comfortable talking about the menopause at work.

Diageo said the global launch of the app supports its commitment to create an inclusive place to work and raise awareness and understanding of subjects, like menopause, which can often be taboo. It follows the introduction of Thriving Through Menopause Guidelines for employees and line managers last year which are now live in over 40 countries.

“Since we launched our Thriving Through Menopause guidelines last year, we’ve been working to encourage all employees to better understand how menopause can impact women at work and home,”  Caroline Rhodes, global inclusion and diversity director at Diageo, commented.

“Today’s roll out of the balance+ app across Diageo goes beyond raising awareness. It will equip employees with leading medical advice, support and diagnosis, while helping us create a more inclusive and supportive environment for our people.”

To support the roll out of the balance+ app, over 40 male and female employees around the world have been trained as Diageo menopause advocates and over the coming months, will work with their teams to help build their knowledge and raise awareness in this field.

“We are beyond thrilled to be working with the team at Diageo to deliver what is, in our opinion, the absolute best practice example on how to provoke change in an organisation globally and embrace the menopause in the workplace,” Gaele Lalahy, COO of balance, said.

“This is a perfect and necessary opportunity to attract and retain more female talents, and ensure they thrive in their careers. Together with Diageo, balance will break taboos around menopause with a series of educational talks by our doctors, build capability and confidence through training, and distributing the evidence-based balance app and its health and wellbeing companion balance+, globally.””

The balance app is the only menopause app certified by ORCHA and recognised as safe, accredited, compliant, and trusted to feature in digital health libraries for the NHS and other national health bodies around the world.