Menopause Discrimination – Best Practice for Employers
Menopause Matters – The Law & Best Practice for HR Professionals
Tuesday 30 January 2024 – 10.30am – 12pm
Delivered by expert Employment Lawyer, Christine Gannon, this virtual classroom seminar will provide Managers and HR professionals with best practice advice on how to best support their staff who are going through the menopause and provide practical help on how to avoid discrimination claims. This session is run in partnership with Community Works and coincides with Menopause Matters, our campaign to stamp out menopause discrimination in the workpalce.
The menopause has long been a taboo subject in the workplace despite it being estimated that two million women aged over 50 have experienced difficulties at work due to menopause symptoms. Many workplaces do not adequately support their staff who are going through the menopause. A 2022 report by the Fawcett Society revealed that 80% of women said that their employer did not have a menopause policy in place, nor did they offer any training to staff around the menopause. Sadly, one in ten menopausal women have left their job due to their symptoms.
The menopause is not a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010 but those suffering from negative symptoms will potentially be protected by existing employment law including legislation against sex, disability and age discrimination.
The effects of the menopause vary significantly, but symptoms can include:
- feeling tired and lacking energy
- hot flushes
- feeling anxious and experiencing panic attacks
- struggling to concentrate or focus
- headaches including migraines
What You Will Learn
This live and interactive session will cover the following:
- Practical steps all employers should consider when dealing with menopausal staff
- Identifying the key legal issues and case law – Daley v Optiva [2021]
- The statutory protections relating to sex, age and disability discrimination ,which may apply to employees going through the menopause, using case studies
- Provision of a best practice menopause policy
This is an online training session via Zoom. Invites will be sent out to attendees before the event.
This session is open to organisations in the charity and non-profit sector. To book, please visit the Community Works website
