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CWU members will no doubt be aware that Dave Joyce, CWU's National Health Safety & Environment Officer reported on negotiations he has had with Royal Mail Group regarding menopausal employees and the way in which they are managed at work.
Here, Dave tells Unionsafety readers about the bacckground and negotiations that led to the final agreement: The Agreement & Campaign This is an excellent agreed step forward. Royal Mail Group, one of the UK’s largest employers, currently has around 16,500 women employees who are likely to be experiencing menopausal and perimenopausal symptoms. Following my discussions with the Royal Mail Group’s Head of Health and Wellbeing, we very much welcome and support the commitment of the business, through the new ‘Let’s Talk Menopause’ campaign, to significantly enhance the support afforded to women employees experiencing and indeed suffering menopausal symptoms. Background I got Royal Mail Group to adopt their first ever Menopause Policy in 2018 (LTB 149/18 announced that agreement which I had reached - between the CWU 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 in 2018, entitled “Supporting Women At Work Through The Menopause”. This guide outlined the symptoms that some women suffer when going through the menopause, how these symptoms can affect them at work, and practical advice and guidance for managers to give help and support to these women. Since then we’ve been reviewing it and more recently with Rachel Boon the Royal Mail Group National Head of Health and Wellbeing who has been really good to work with on this - I’ve been discussing with RMG how we can improve it further which resulted in this new RMG “Enhanced Menopause Support Package For Women” and from their we’ve launched a joint campaign of awareness. There is going to be follow up communications and awareness raising – and further LTBs. In Conclusion National Health Safety & Environment Officer Dave Joyce told Unionsafety: “The CWU has wanted RMG to become more menopause friendly throughout the organisation and to raise awareness, develop workplace information, management training, education, policies and practices and through the new campaign and new enhanced support we will continue discussing Dave continued: "Everyone knows someone who is experiencing menopause or someone who will eventually go through menopause and we want Reps to ensure those members access and use the information and support available to make
Enhancing the support available, raising awareness and creating a positive and open environment for those affected is encouraging and can help prevent stress, anxiety and depression, loss of confidence and feeling like they need to take time off work and hide the reasons for it." In closing, Dave said: "Normalising menopause conversations in the workplace, increasing awareness of the impact of menopause symptoms which can last a long time is therefore is an important, positive step forward. The CWU very much welcomes and supports the new campaign.” You can download a special report entitled 'Gen M Invisibility' about the menopause, which in it's Foreward introduces the issues and negative affects upon women across the globe. The report constitutes: "A rallying
cry on behalf of the ‘invisible’ community of mid-life
women, a wakeup call to retailers, organisations, brands, Search the Unionsafety E-Library using the keyword: 'Menmopause' or click on the cover above. Also LTB073/22 is available from the E-Library by using searchword: LTB07322. Source: CWU / Dave Joyce
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His letter to branches (LTB 073/2022) was issued On 17 February 2022 reporting to CWU Regions, Reps and members the conclusion of a new agreement and associated campaign entitled' Let's Talk Menopause' that RMG have agree to embark upon in support of their estimated 16,500 women employees who are likely to be experiencing menopausal and perimenopausal symptoms, which can affect their work. 