Unison: The menopause is a workplace issue - guidance and model policy

More documents

Recommendations

Info

mThe menopause is a workplace issue: guidance and model policyFurther sources of information tosupport women and raise awareness:NHS informationwww.nhs.uk/conditions/menopausewww.nhs.uk/conditions/early-menopauseNICE guidelines on ‘Menopause:diagnosis and treatment’NICE guidelines provide advice on the careand support that should be offered to peoplewho use health and care services.www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng23/ifp/chapter/About-this-informationMenopause MattersAn award-winning, independent websiteproviding up-to-date, accurate informationabout the menopause, menopausal symptomsand treatment options.www.menopausematters.co.ukWomen’s Health ConcernMenopause cafésAt a menopause café people, often strangers,gather to eat cake, drink tea and discussmenopause. The website includes guidance onhow to set up your own menopause café.www.menopausecafe.netManage my menopauseWebsite for tailored menopausal advicefor individuals provided by experts. www.managemymenopause.co.ukMy Menopause DoctorA website that aims to help empower womenwith necessary information to make informeddecisions regarding any treatment they maytake to help turn the menopause into a positiveexperience that does not negatively impacttheir lives.www.menopausedoctor.co.ukA charitable organisation – the patient arm ofthe British Menopause Society – that aims tohelp educate and support women with theirhealthcare by providing unbiased, accurateinformation.www.womens-health-concern.orgDaisy NetworkDaisy Network is dedicated to providinginformation and support to womendiagnosed with Premature OvarianInsufficiency, also known as PrematureMenopause.https://www.daisynetwork.orgThe Menopause ExchangeThe Menopause Exchange gives independentadvice about the menopause, midlife andpost-menopausal health. They send out a freequarterly newsletter with useful impartial helpand support.www.menopause-exchange.co.uk14
Changing workplace policies andpracticesKey to changing workplace policies andpractices is providing a genuine opportunityfor women workers to be heard on the issue.Simply asking the question, ‘what type ofsupport might be helpful for those experiencingthe menopause?’ will be a positive starttowards changing culture and practice.The Government Equalities Office 2017research report ‘The effects of menopausetransition on women’s economic participationin the UK’ (www.gov.uk/government/publications/menopause-transition-effects-onwomens-economic-participation)found thatappropriate employer interventions included“changing organisational cultures; compulsoryequality and diversity training; providingspecialist advice; tailored absence policies;flexible working patterns for mid-life women;and fairly low cost environmental changes.”Educating for a changingworkplace cultureEmployers should ensure that all line managersand HR staff have been trained to be awareof how the menopause can affect work,the implications for both equality and healthand safety, and what adjustments maybe necessary to support women who areexperiencing the menopause.In addition all staff would benefit from trainingto raise awareness and understanding, and toshare experiences.Gender specific riskassessmentsBeing aware of issues relating to genderin occupational health and safety ensuresthat workplaces are safer and healthier foreveryone. Where the differences between menand women (such as with the menopause) areacknowledged, there is a greater chance ofensuring that the health, safety and welfare ofall workers are protected.Sickness absenceIncreasingly in workplaces, long-term healthconditions are dealt with outside the absenceor sickness policies. Similarly menopausalsymptoms should not be recorded in the sameway as any other sickness absence.Difficult symptoms related to the menopauseleading to absence should be recorded asan ongoing issue, rather than as individualabsences. As with any long-term healthcondition or impairment, adjustments shouldbe offered to resolve any barriers that theemployee experiencing the menopauseencounters.However many employers use sicknessabsence policies with arbitrary triggers forinstigating processes. The Bradford Factoris one example used to evaluate sicknessabsence, which penalises frequent short-termabsences by assigning a negative score tothe employee, whilst making allowances fora few periods of long-term absence. Clearlythis could disadvantage women facing difficultmenopausal symptoms.Equality-proofing allpolicies and proceduresSickness absence policies are not the onlypolicies and procedures that could impactnegatively on women. It is important for allworkplace practices to be reviewed in casethey create potential disadvantages forworkers experiencing the menopause.For example, inflexible performancemanagement may even lead to the unfairimplementation of capability and disciplinaryprocedures and even to dismissal. Theemployer should take into account the impactmenopausal symptoms may temporarily haveon a woman’s workplace performance withpossible memory loss, poor concentration,fatigue, lack of confidence and othersymptoms.Capability, disciplinary, redundancy, andrecruitment and training are some of the keypolicies and procedures alongside sicknessabsence, performance management andhealth and safety, that should be checked incase they could disadvantage those workersexperiencing the menopause.But all policies and procedures should be15
Page 1 and 2: mMenopauseThe menopause is a workpl
Page 3 and 4: ForewordThis guide is designed to a
Page 5 and 6: How branches can benefit fromnegoti
Page 7 and 8: Everyone’s experience of the meno
Page 9 and 10: Clearly any and all of these sympto
Page 11 and 12: Women’s experience at workThe 201
Page 13: UNISON members’ experiencesOne UN
Page 17 and 18: StressEmployers need to be aware th
Page 19 and 20: The role of the trade unionBeing aw
Page 21 and 22: Jane Gebbie, chair of both the regi
Page 23 and 24: NHS WalesIn the health service sect
Page 25 and 26: A minimal change isrequired for a p
Page 27 and 28: employers. The general equality dut
Page 29 and 30: Does the policy recognise that opti
Page 31 and 32: 6. There are sometimes more physica
Page 33 and 34: Definition of the menopause(See als
Page 35 and 36: • access to drinking water• uni
Page 37 and 38: Trade union involvementConsultation
Page 39 and 40: Menopause Matterswww.menopausematte

Unison: The menopause is a workplace issue - guidance and model policy

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?