Marking International Men’s Day at work: 8 practical ideas

19 November is a good prompt for workplaces to ask a simple question: are we supporting the men on our team, and are we making it easy for them to speak up? Here are eight practical ideas, from small to ambitious.

1. Offer health checks or screening

Arrange for a clinic or health professional to visit, or give staff time off to attend a check-up. Early checks on blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol can catch problems sooner.

2. Host a short talk or lunch and learn

A 30-minute session on stress, men’s health or fatherhood, led by someone credible, opens the conversation. Keep it practical, and leave time for questions.

3. Hold a walking meeting day

Swap a few meetings for walks. It gets people moving and, as many men find, makes it easier to talk.

4. Set up peer support

Name a few trained or willing colleagues as people to talk to. Make it clear that using them is encouraged, not a sign of weakness.

5. Look at flexibility for fathers

Flexible hours around school events, paternity leave and family emergencies tell fathers that being involved at home is valued.

6. Start a mentoring scheme

Pair experienced staff with younger colleagues. Mentoring builds positive role models and helps younger men feel they belong.

7. Share real stories

With permission, invite a senior leader or colleague to share a time they struggled and what helped. Honest stories do more than any policy.

8. Put help where people can find it

Display the helplines in the staff room or on your intranet, and make sure managers know how to respond when someone says they are not coping.

Partner with IMD Sri Lanka

We work with organisations that want to do more than mark the day. If your workplace would like to take part, host a talk, or become a partner, we would be glad to hear from you.

See partnership options