Community as a menopause positive workplace

Last week, Community hosed a virtual Menopause training session for staff, with the full support of the General Secretary and introduction from the Assistant General Secretary.

Menopause can impact us all, whether we’re experiencing menopause directly or supporting a family member, friend or colleague.

There are over thirty known symptoms of menopause, including hot flushes, memory issues, difficulty sleeping, and brain fog. While not all women will experience symptoms, three in four women will.

There are over 3.5 million menopausal women working across the UK – the fastest growing part of the U.K. workforce. As a trade union, we refuse to accept this reality where workers going through the menopause are not receiving the support they deserve.

For Community, this means practising what we preach. We have previously campaigned to support the Menopause Bill as it progressed through Parliament, as well as to introduce menopause policies in our recognised workplaces. Our work to secure a menopause revolution is ongoing, you can see our campaign on it here.

Through this training session, which included how someone may be affected by menopause and supporting those that are, we are ensuring that Community is a menopause positive workplace, and that every one of our colleagues who are experiencing the symptoms of menopause is supported.

Melantha Chittenden, Head of Communications and Media, who attended the training, said:

“The training from Henpicked on menopause in the workplace was incredibly useful. I feel so much more confident and better equipped to support colleagues in the workplace who are experiencing the menopause.

Women experiencing the menopause are some of the most likely to leave the workforce and when employers lose them, they lose a wealth of knowledge and experience. I would urge all employers to undergo training with Henpicked to better understand the ways they can support anyone going through the menopause and by doing so, keep them in the workforce.”

The training was delivered by Henpicked, one of the fastest growing communities for women over forty.

If you are a member of Community and need help or advice, please contact us at help@community-tu.org or on 0800 389 6332.