CWU National H&S Dept Officer On TUC Pays Dividends For CWU Menopause Agreement

As previously reported on this website, the CWU continues to 'punch above it's weight' when it comes to health & safety considreing the department runs on the smallest of all departmental budgets.

Our TUC H&S Committee member in the form of our National Health, Safety and Environment Officer, Dave Joyce has, through conference motions submitted by the Union's Equality and Safety Reps on supporting women workers through the menopause; been actively pursueing the issues with the TUC, Royal Mail, and several relevant organisations.

Here Dave Joyce reports to all our members whether working in Royal Mail or other companies represented by the Union:

I am pleased to announce that agreement has been reached between the Health, Safety and Environment Department and the Royal Mail Group Head of Health on the introduction of the first ever Royal Mail Group Menopause Guide for Managers entitled “Supporting Women At Work Through The Menopause.”

The New Guide goes live as of this month and sections cover:-

• What the Menopause is
• How does it affect people?
• How might it affect work?
• What do I need to do as a manager?
• Key points to consider when managing an employee who is going through the menopause
• Sources of information and guidance

The Guidance has been placed on the Royal Mail Group Health & Wellbeing pages of the Royal Mail Group intranet with Publicity in the following places:-

• Myroyalmail
• RM Bi-weekly
• Feeling First Class Focus
• Feeling First Class (FFC) website.

A copy of the Guide can be downloaded here and from the Unionsafety E-Library Database

The guide, which is the result of lengthy discussion between the union and the business assisted by expert professional advice, has sections covering what the menopause is, how it affects women, how it might affect work, what managers need to do and key points to consider, as well as signposting further sources of information and guidance

“It’s good to see that menopause is increasingly being widely recognised as a potential occupational health and work problem and is no longer considered a ‘taboo’ subject.”

“More awareness and some simple changes could make their working lives during this time much easier and that’s what the guide aims to do,” he continued, adding that this addresses a need which has been flagged up several times in CWU conference motions in recent years and also praising his counterpart at Royal Mail, head of health Rachel Boon for her “very positive role.”

The background to this was reported by Dave on the unionsafety website last November and to all CWU Branches via LTB610/17 and more recently LTB149/18

Source: C Ingram / Dave Joyce / CWU