Movember 2025
- Corazon Health
- 3 days ago
- 7 min read
Breaking the stigma: supporting men's health and wellbeing in the workplace.
Why Movember matters
Movember, observed annually during the month of November, is a global campaign encouraging men to grow moustaches to raise awareness about men’s health issues, encourage open conversations, and spark fundraising efforts to support men's health initiatives. Since 2003 Movember campaign has funded more than 1,320 various projects around the world aiming to improve men's overall mental health, reduce the risk of suicide, and spread the message about prostate and testicular cancer.
The following statistics emphasise why this campaign is so important:
4,231 men took their own life in England in 2024 which accounts for 74% of all registered suicides. This is 61 more than in 2023.
More than 63,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year in the UK.
On average, more than 12,000 men die from prostate cancer every year in the UK.
Since the early 1990s, testicular cancer incidence rates have increased by more than a quarter (29%) in the UK.
Moreover, a research paper published by the UK Parliament in December 2023 found that men, on average, die four years earlier than women. Men are also more likely to experience poor health outcomes for a variety of conditions such as some types of cancer, heart disease and type 2 diabetes, and are more likely to die by suicide, when compared with women. Furthermore, according to the Mental Health Foundation, men are more likely to adopt unhealthy ways of dealing with mental health problems, such as smoking, drinking or using drugs. There are lots of different reasons for poor men's health outcomes. In general, men seem to be less likely to adopt healthy behaviours, visit a healthcare professional when they aren’t feeling well, undertake regular health check-ups, or access support services. Societal expectations and gender stereotypes are a major barrier for many men to talking about their health concerns and seeking help.
Supporting men's health in the workplace
Employers can play a critical role in addressing both the physical and mental health challenges that disproportionately affect men and are often overlooked and underestimated. Incorporating men’s health into a broader health and wellbeing strategy and fostering an environment where men feel empowered to speak openly and seek help, can help overcome the stigma and reduce inequalities in men’s health. This, in turn, can have a huge impact on workplace productivity, employee engagement and talent retention. There are several practical steps that you could take to support men's health and promote cultural change to break the stigma surrounding this topic:
Encourage eligible staff to take up NHS health checks and screenings
Highlight the importance of NHS health checks and screening and encourage employees to take it up if they are eligible. Below are some of the health checks and screenings offered in England:
The NHS Health Check is a check-up for all adults aged 40-74 who do not have any pre-existing conditions. It can help to determine whether someone is at a higher risk of developing certain health problems such as type 2 diabetes, stroke, kidney disease, or heart disease. The NHS Health Check is offered every five years.
Bowel Cancer Screening - a test offered for those aged 50 to 74 every two years. It involves a home test (FIT kit) that checks for signs of bowel cancer.
Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is offered to all men over the age of 64 to check if there are any swellings (aneurysms) in the main blood vessel in the aorta.
Find out more about screening programmes in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
You should also encourage staff to make an appointment with their GP if they do notice changes in their body or are concerned about their health.
Share relevant information about employee benefits and the workplace support services available
If your organisation provides a comprehensive health insurance, including access to a private GP, diagnostic tests, therapies, or specialist consultations and treatment, make sure that the staff is aware of it and that they know how to access specific services. This could help your employees avoid lengthy GP and hospital waiting lists and receive faster diagnosis and necessary treatment. Also, you should consider mental health and employee wellbeing support. This is commonly done via employee assistance programmes (EAPs) or dedicated counselling services. These programmes provide confidential counselling, mental health advice, and support with any personal or work-related concerns. Share information about workplace support services on the Intranet, through noticeboards and regular newsletters, as well as during onboarding process for new employees.
If you don't provide mental health and wellbeing support in your workplace, get in touch with us and we can help you put an EAP in place and organise both face to face and telephone counselling sessions for your staff.
Raise awareness through educational materials and workplace workshops
Provide educational materials about men's health issues to ensure that male employees are aware of potential risks to their health and how they could adopt a more proactive approach to managing their wellbeing. Make sure to cover topics like prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health, and other male-specific illnesses or conditions. Share relevant resources like booklets, articles, videos and podcasts via Intranet or newsletters, and display posters and leaflets in places where employees are likely to pass by frequently, for instance in staff rooms, changing rooms, canteen or on notice boards around the workplace.
Here are some examples of free resources that you could share with your staff:
To go one step further, you could also organise a men's health awareness stand, drop-in sessions, webinars or seminars with an expert who can cover a wide range of topics related to men's health and answer employees' questions. At Corazon Health we offer a 'Men's health' webinar which can help staff increase their general awareness of men’s health concerns and understanding where to go for early assistance and how men can proactively manage their health. Get in touch with us to find out more about the webinar.
Get advice from Occupational Health
Whether it’s managing long-term conditions like diabetes, coping with stress, or going through cancer treatment, make sure that an employee is effectively supported in the workplace. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution, therefore it would be beneficial to refer them to Occupational Health Services to receive an impartial, clinical opinion of employee's situation. Through our Management Referral service, Occupational Health Advisors can recommend supportive measures and adjustments, devise a suitable return to work plan if employee is on a long-term leave, and offer advice about how employee's health may affect their ability to do their job.
Advise employees where to seek additional help
There are many charities and organisations that offer additional help and guidance for men on a range of physical and mental health issues. Provide your employees with the details of how they can contact these organisations for free support, for instance:
A men’s suicide prevention charity, offering free-to-attend peer-to-peer support groups across the UK and online. It aims to end the stigma surrounding men’s mental health and encourage men to talk about their feelings.
A charity supporting men experiencing domestic abuse. Men can speak to one of the professional advisors on the phone, by email or on webchat. There are also resources for anyone concerned that a male friend or relative may be abused.
Prostate Cancer UK provides a range of information (booklets, podcasts, videos) and support like specialist nurse helpline, awareness talks, support groups and online community.
The charity has over 150 Tackle Support Groups across the country, which are run by people who have been impacted by prostate cancer. Their aim is that men can access a safe and welcoming space with a chance to connect with others who are also on their prostate cancer journey.
The men's mental health charity offers free therapy sessions and MANUP? Talks held every two weeks via Zoom. Each therapy session is led by a psychotherapist, and it includes a short Q&A at the end to address your questions.
The charity offers "BeAMate" text support service. To use the service, men have to simply text “BeAMate” to 85258 and trained volunteers can help with issues including anxiety, stress, loneliness or depression and are available 24/7.
The charity offers practical information and support for men diagnosed with testicular cancer through the support line, regular events, and information packs.
The charity offers help and support for anyone who has been affected by male cancer. Men can find relevant resources in the information hub or call Orchid Male Cancer Nurse Specialist to ask them any questions.
Men's health issues are often overlooked due to a combination of societal norms, stereotypes, and a lack of awareness. Workplaces can play a critical role in challenging stigma, encouraging open conversations, and providing practical support. As an employer, you should foster an environment where men feel empowered to speak openly, seek help and prioritise their health without embarrassment and fear of judgement. Investing in, and promoting men’s health in the workplace, is not just an ethical thing to do, it’s an investment into your organisation itself. By proactively addressing and supporting the unique needs of male employees, you can build a healthier, more productive, and resilient workplace where all employees can thrive.
Improving Men's Health at Work Webinar from ManHealth can provide you with further information on what you could do to engage your male workforce in health and wellbeing initiatives for impact all year round:
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