In this week's episode Sheila Lord is speaking to Sharon Vibert, Director of Henpicked: Menopause in the Workplace. They are discussing ways to support employers to becoming menopause friendly, by following best practice standards and embedding menopause into the culture of an organisation.. They also cover many of the myths that surround menopause and how managers can create a safe work environment for employees dealing with menopause
We all know that Knowledge is powerful. The more you know about something, the less you get frustrated.
This week on the UK Psych Health & Safety podcast, we are joined by Sharon Vibert, a menopause advocator and the Director of Henpicked: Menopause in the Workplace. A provider of menopause training, videos, eLearning, policy, and communication expertise to line managers and colleagues.
Sharon is here to talk about supporting employees to become menopause friendly by following the best practice standards in the workplace. Throughout the episode, we look at the myths surrounding menopause, about speaking openly, building confidence, asking questions, and more.
Starting the conversation, Sharon speaks about the common myths in the workplace about menopause, such as hot flushes and menopause itself only affecting older women
She further dives into the importance of educating people about menopause and speaking about the concept openly. Sharon also shares some negative words people use in the workplace and how employers can step in and create a safe environment for employees struggling with menopause.
As employers, we need to ask questions about the well-being of employees to know what challenges they face and the need to create a safe environment for employees where they can talk openly.
Conversation is key. Without conversations we don't know what's happening with the people we care about. A simple conversation might make all the difference. Getting into conversations' on menopause is the first step to creating a menopause-friendly workplace.
[02.29] Myths – Sharon dives into the five myths surrounding menopause in any work environment and the importance of educating people about the concept.
[14.01] Speaking openly – Sometimes, we don't want to share things that bother us.Sharon talks about the possible reasons for not openly discussing menopause in the workplace.
[20.57] Practical aspects – Sharon dives into how managers can create a safe work environment for employees dealing with menopause.
[30.23] Confidence –Sharon shares her thoughts on the importance of building employees' confidence about the menopause conversation and what role the line managers can play in that process.
[39.17] Asking questions – Sharon dives into the need to ask questions and how support groups can do wonders when it comes to problem-solving.
[43.35] What can we do to help? Sharon shares her suggestions for adjustments in the workplace. The simplest thing you can do as an employer is to ask, ‘What can we do for you? Or “What can we do to help”?
[50.43] The first step – Sharon shares the initial first step for a menopause-friendly workplace.
Quotes
"Menopause is an individual journey".
"Education can be absolutely enlightening for many, and life changing as well".
"It's now time to change the narrative to change hearts and minds to break the bias around, menopause and aging".
Resources
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonvibert/?originalSubdomain=uk