Starting a Conversation. Becoming a Menopause Aware and Supportive - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

faf Starting a Conversation…. Becoming a Menopause Aware and Supportive Employer Darparu ansawdd, gofal a rhagoriaeth Delivering quality, care & excellence

Introduction Karen Wright Assistant Director of Workforce Velindre University NHS Trust About Velindre NHS Trust Darparu ansawdd, gofal a rhagoriaeth Delivering quality, care & excellence

What Is the Trust Trying to Achieve? “Currently , beyond pregnancy, gender specific issues are rarely discussed in the workplace. This needs to change and education and awareness is the key” Kate Pearlman-Shaw (People Management February 2018) Darparu ansawdd, gofal a rhagoriaeth Delivering quality, care & excellence

My Experience  Medical Menopause – Cancer 2014 - Age 46  No opportunity for gradual adjustment to hormonal drop off – Immediate and unexpected menopause  ER positive – cancer cells grow in response to the hormone estrogen / Hormone Therapy – block effects of estrogen  Severe / debilitating – what was effects of chemo / radiotherapy / tamoxifen – v- menopause?  Off work for 19 months  Return to a demanding Assistant Director of Workforce role  Expectation fit and recovered and raring to go  Didn’t discuss menopause symptoms and impact upon RTW Darparu ansawdd, gofal a rhagoriaeth Delivering quality, care & excellence

My Symptoms  Anxiety / panic  Poor memory  Hot flushes  Nausea  Trouble getting to sleep & disturbed sleep  Tiredness and fatigue  Poor concentration  Low mood  …. only the ones I am willing to commit to a slide!!!  Loss of confidence and self belief in self Darparu ansawdd, gofal a rhagoriaeth Delivering quality, care & excellence

What support was in place to support me?  Not on the Agenda  Female boss – I didn't feel it was appropriate or relevant to discuss – Not on the Trust’s agenda  Self navigated and negotiated my way through it following my RTW (work clothes, fan, office move – desk next to window, flexible working).  Explain to colleagues why I was flushed / distressed or loss of concentration during meetings – Not able to speak to them by name  My approach – “I am a woman of a certain age” humour Darparu ansawdd, gofal a rhagoriaeth Delivering quality, care & excellence

What got me thinking about menopause as an employer’s issue?  A meeting with the Trust’s Unison Full -time Officer and Colleagues  Opened up about my personal experience – first time I had spoken to anyone about my experience, including my husband  Decided to find out more about it to ensure that other Trust employee’s had a more positive experience  Reviewed our Workforce and EAP data  Agreed to work in partnership with Unison to champion and raise awareness of this issue across the Trust Darparu ansawdd, gofal a rhagoriaeth Delivering quality, care & excellence

The evidence - why employers must make menopause in the workplace a serious issue  48% of the Welsh workforce are women  More women are working than ever before - Over 70% aged 16-64 are in employment  Employment rates for women over the age of 50 has increased dramatically over the last three decades  By 2020, 1 in 3 workers will be over the age of 50  UK State pension age for women – age 66 in 2020 - expectation women will remain in employment for longer  10% of women will leave work due to not being supported through menopause transition in the workplace  On average it costs £30k to recruit to a vacancy There are staff and skills shortages in the NHS – 77% of the  workforce are women cannot afford to lose valuable, knowledge, skills, expertise and experience (107,743 Vacancies NHS England)  Estimated menopause related absences cost employers £7.3million on average per year Darparu ansawdd, gofal a rhagoriaeth Delivering quality, care & excellence

The evidence – Why the Trust needs to act now!  75% of Trust’s staff are female  61% of the Trust’s female workforce is aged 40 – 60+ years (2:3 ratio 1,830 employees)  There are shortage predominantly female professions (Nurses) with vacancies difficult to fill when staff leave  Needs to increase gender diversity in senior roles across the organisation – address gender pay gap Darparu ansawdd, gofal a rhagoriaeth Delivering quality, care & excellence

The evidence – Why the Trust needs to act now!  EAP - Female staff age 41 – 60+ account for 60% – 70%* of usage  EAP Review of most accessed services  Face to Face Counselling and Clinical First Call Resolution (emotional health, Workplace concerns, family relationships/concerns and adjustment / change)  Personal Concerns – personal stress, anxiety/panic, low mood, low self esteem and difficulty concentrating and hopelessness  Work Related Concerns – Work related stress, work performance issues, conflict at work, bully and harassment, termination of employment  Sickness and ER Statistics Darparu ansawdd, gofal a rhagoriaeth Delivering quality, care & excellence

What is the Trust doing?  Developed a Trust wide “Starting a conversation…. The transition through the Menopause Workshop” for employees to educate and raise awareness and build confidence  Developed a Trust wide “Starting a conversation…. Becoming a menopause aware and supportive employer” training course for managers - raise awareness, promote the right attitude, ensure fair and consistent approach is applied on a case by case basis  Deliver “Case to become a menopause aware and supportive employer” to the EMB / Trust Board October / November 2018 – launch the Trust’s initiative Darparu ansawdd, gofal a rhagoriaeth Delivering quality, care & excellence

What is the Trust doing?  NWIS – Menopause Guide for Manager  Developed a Trust Menopause Guide for Managers  H&WB / Menopause Champions  Promoting EAP Scheme to encourage more staff to access and benefit from these support services  Complementary Therapy Support Scheme  Coaching and Mentoring Scheme  Proactively contributing to the development of the NHS Wales Menopause Policy and Toolkit  Amending RTW and Self Certification Form to identify menopause and risk assessment requirement – mirror stress process Darparu ansawdd, gofal a rhagoriaeth Delivering quality, care & excellence

What is the Trust doing?  When reviewing Workforce Policies, where relevant make reference to Menopause Policy  New Cancer Hospital – 2024/2025 – Workforce & OD Function feeding in comments to Design and Build meetings to ensure that environmental factors which can improve the workplace for female staff going through menopause transition are considered / acted upon  Provides & signpost to resources, guides, toolkits etc. via Intranet, newsletters, posters etc.  Gender Agenda Year – Menopause event part of International Women’s Day 8 March 2019 Darparu ansawdd, gofal a rhagoriaeth Delivering quality, care & excellence

What more can the Trust do? Learning from your learning Activity 6 – What can the employer do? Darparu ansawdd, gofal a rhagoriaeth Delivering quality, care & excellence

We are all in it together! We all (employers, trade unions, employees) have an important role to play in shaping and informing our organisation's culture, to encourage and promote the right attitudes and values to create a menopause aware and supportive workplace K Wright Assistant Director Velindre University NHS Trust (Sept 2018) Darparu ansawdd, gofal a rhagoriaeth Delivering quality, care & excellence

We are all in it together! BE ACCOUNTABLE BE BOLD BE CARING BE DYNAMIC Help shape every female employees experience of menopause transition in the workplace, to make it a positive one! Darparu ansawdd, gofal a rhagoriaeth Delivering quality, care & excellence

THANK YOU QUESTIONS? COMMENTS IDEAS? Darparu ansawdd, gofal a rhagoriaeth Delivering quality, care & excellence

Contact Details Karen Wright Assistant Director of Workforce Velindre University NHS Trust Karen.wright2@wales.nhs.uk 02920 196161 Darparu ansawdd, gofal a rhagoriaeth Delivering quality, care & excellence