During this Live Webinar, Black Country Women in Leadership will be joined by Chair of the Women and Equalities Committee, Caroline Nokes MP, alongside guests from the legal, women’s health and well-being sectors to discuss ‘Menopause in the Workplace’, now recognised as a major workplace issue that affects people both personally and professionally, with symptoms from the minor to the extreme and sometimes over many years.
Almost a million women in the UK have left their jobs as a result of menopausal symptoms.
With menopause mainly affecting those in their late 40s and early 50s, it can lead to women eligible for senior management roles leaving work at the peak of their career, with knock-on effects on workplace productivity, the gender pay gap and the gender pension gap.
4.4 million women aged 50 to 64 are currently in work in the UK, they are the biggest growing demographic and represent 50% of the workforce,13 million women in the UK are either peri- or post-menopausal suffering symptoms that can last up to 15 years.
In July the House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee, chaired by The Rt Hon Caroline Nokes MP, launched a new inquiry, scrutinising existing legislation and workplace practices around the menopause, and asking if enough is being done to address the issue.
Existing legislation protects people from discrimination based on sex, age and disability, but several calls have been made for further measures, including a workplace menopause policy. With the Government currently developing its Women's Health Strategy, MPs on the cross-party Committee will present their findings and recommendations with a view to shaping policies redressing gender equality.
In preparation for ‘World Menopause Awareness Day’ on the 18th of October, Black Country Women in Leadership will be joined by Caroline Nokes, alongside guests from the legal, women’s health and well-being sectors, for our webinar during the Black Country Business Festival.
This event is designed to educate men and women around how the menopause can affect women’s health and affect their working lives, to provide more education for people in leadership and management roles and to encourage more open discussion on this subject in the workplace.
Who Should Attend?
- Everyone is affected by menopause, directly or indirectly, either themselves, friends, family, or by working with colleagues going through the menopause.
- Raising awareness is key to overcoming taboos and ending the silence around menopause.
EVENT & PANEL
Chair - Corin Crane, CEO Black Country Chamber of Commerce
- ‘Menopause and the Workplace Inquiry - The Rt Hon Caroline Noakes MP - Chair of the Women’s and Equalities Committee, will talk about the recently launched ‘Menopause and the Workplace Inquiry
- Talking about the Menopause – Deborah Garlick - Director of Henpicked: Menopause in the Workplace, founder of Henpicked and author of Menopause :the change for the better, will join us to discuss the compelling reasons why we should be talking about the menopause and what employers can do to help their employees. Deborah and her team have been working with UK-wide and international organisations for the last 5 years to make it easy for them to introduce the right training, policies and practices to raise awareness and education of this critical area.
- Legal Requirements – a legal perspective for businesses – Lisa Kemp, Associate Director, Employment & HR Law, Thursfields Solicitors
- The wider impact of mental health in the workplace – Kerry Mitchell, Wellbeing Manager at not-for-profit health plan provider, Paycare
- Q and A
- Close