Employee benefits provider Unum UK introduced a new reproductive health policy for its more than 700 employees from 8 March in line with International Women’s Day 2022.
Under the policy, the organisation will offer all employees with female reproductiive organs free access to private healthcare provider Bupa's Menopause Plan. This includes 45 minutes with an experienced menopause trained GP, a 15-minute check-in 12 weeks later to talk through changes and improvements, and 24/7 anytime health line for 12 months following their first appointment.
All staff and their partners can also access a menopause-trained GP via Unum’s health and wellbeing app Help@hand, where they can access a service that allows them to book an appointment with a GP.
In addition, the initiative offers employees and their partners undergoing fertility treatment up to five days of paid leave to attend fertility appointments or have treatment. Also available are flexible-working arrangements for those suffering with heavy, painful periods or other exacerbated symptoms.
Unum introduced the policy to encourage conversations about reproductive health and improve support to reduce stress, improve productivity and workforce productivity. Its aim is to destigmatise the topics and normalise discussions by offering enhanced resources for employees and their managers to help those with both physical and mental symptoms in the workplace.
Jane Hulme, HR director at Unum UK, said: "Our ethos is to put people at the heart of employee benefits and ensure that they can bring their whole self to work. To do that, we need to ensure we have policies that respond to the needs of our people, especially when it comes to topics surrounding reproductive health such as menstruation, menopause and infertility that are too often seen as taboo. As a growing organisation, we want to ensure we nurture and retain the best talent through different stages of their working life.”
