Menopause awareness training for employers

Article summary: We’re hosting a Menopause Employer Awareness Workshop on Thursday 22 September to give managers and supervisors an insight into supporting their female staff through the menopause.

The session, which will run from 9.30am - 12.30pm at our Portsmouth-based training centre, is being delivered by legal specialists Foot Anstey. Approaching this important topic from a legal perspective will give employers all the information and guidance they need to put the correct policies in place to support their female staff through this time in their lives.

Nearly 8 in 10 menopausal women are in work and with 1 in 4 menopausal women experiencing debilitating symptoms, it is likely that employers will need to make reasonable adjustments in the workplace. 

Designed for front line supervisors / managers, this workshop will inform and guide on the best ways of achieving this to ensure that female staff feel understood, accepted and supported.

Topics covered during the session will include awareness of symptoms and stages of the menopause, support that can be offered to employees, the legal framework surrounding menopause as well as practical suggestions to support one’s body through the menopause. 

Foot Anstey’s Employment Solicitor, Lisa Wallis, will facilitate the session. Fellow Employment Solicitor and Legal Director, Joanne Boyle will run through the legal framework surrounding menopause, detailing practical support that can be offered to employees.

Corporate Wellbeing Specialist, Emma Young will provide an insight into the stages of the menopause, giving practical tips for supporting one’s body through it. Questions and insights from attendees will be invited at the end.

Benefits of the course

• A cost-effective way to gain legal expertise and insights on this topic.

• Discover ways to support your female staff through their menopause journey, should they need/want support.

• Learn about the legal framework surrounding menopause.

• Receive practical tips for supporting one’s body through menopause.

• Help employees to work productively, and feel valued and supported.

• Avoid the potential for discriminatory practice, conflict and emotional distress.

Retain and support your workforce

There’s a growing trend to support female employees through the menopause in the workplace. In the past it may have been something to brush under the carpet, but in a climate where wellbeing is amongst employers’ top priorities, it is a very valid condition that will affect every woman at some point in their life.

TV personality Davina McCall has presented two hugely popular TV programmes about the menopause based on her own experience and has opened a door of recognition and openness. She said that going through menopause made her feel “invisible” and “frightened” as she revealed she did not tell anyone she was struggling.

The Menopause and the Workplace report by the Fawcett Society and Channel 4 polled 4,000 women aged 45-55 and found that 10 per cent had left their job because of symptoms of the menopause. 

At a time when job vacancies are at a record high, employers should be looking to do all they can to retain their valued staff. Taking notice of this condition and putting the appropriate support in place to ensure workers remain happy at work is one way they can do this.

Around 80% of women experience noticeable changes during the menopause and of these, 45% find their symptoms difficult to deal with. The fact that the menopause is often viewed as a taboo subject means that staff do not feel they can talk to their employers about it, and if not supported at work, are more likely to take time off to deal with their symptoms in private.

A study by Beneden Health has found that 59 per cent of women had taken time off work because of symptoms, and 18 per cent were off for more than eight weeks.

Give your managers the training they need…

For just £165 (member) or £195 (non-member) you can book onto our Menopause - Employer Awareness Workshop on 22 September and find out what you need to know to provide the right support to your staff, whether they are experiencing the menopause or if they’re managing someone during this phase of life.

You can book your place(s) online or get in touch if you’d like further information about the session.

Sources:
independent/co.uk
peoplemanagement.co.uk
unison.org.uk
peoplemanagement.co.uk