London South Bank University (LSBU) has announced it will train all of its managers on how they can better support staff going through the menopause.
The ‘LSBU Menopause Policy’, which launches today (10 March), will see bosses agreeing personalised plans with those affected to help them manage their workloads.
The university will also put in place more easily accessible information for employees, educating them about dealing directly with menopausal symptoms or helping others they may know in their family who are experiencing them.
Training will be provided to all managers around women’s health issues and, in parallel to this, staff themselves will be given awareness information around the effects of the menopause, as well as how to best manage it.
Commenting on the new pledge, Marcelle Moncrieffe-Johnson, group chief people officer at LSBU, said: “Our new menopause policy will ensure the individual needs of all LSBU staff who experience the menopause are met.
“At its heart will be the provision of information and training to all LSBU staff and this will support employees who experience the menopause with a range of adjustments to their working conditions, including flexible working."
She added: "One of the most important things in the coming days and weeks will be raising awareness about our new menopause policy and making sure managers across our university have everything they need to support their staff. Announcing a new policy is easy. Making a policy a positive reality in the lives of our 2,000 members of staff is our challenge and something we are determined to succeed in. ”
All-told UK employers lose 14 million days per year due to women being unable to talk to their bosses about their menopausal symptoms, according to research by Health & Her.
The announcement comes hot on the heels of Vodafone revealing details of its global menopause pledge to coincide with this week’s International Women’s Day. The telecommunications company's own research revealed a third (33% ) of people it polled who experienced the menopause hid their symptoms from their employers.
According to a recent survey by Menopause Hub, 30% of women report their menopausal symptoms have worsened during the Covid-19 (Cronavirus) pandemic.
Moncrieffe-Johnson said: "I hope every employee who experiences the menopause will agree an individual support plan to ensure their needs and met and adjustments are made to enable them to continue being effective in their jobs."
She added: "Our new menopause policy demonstrates LSBU’s strong commitment to strengthen our culture of respect, dignity and fairness so all employees receive the support they need for their health and wellbeing.”
