ROOFING contractor BriggsAmasco has shown its commitment to World Menopause Awareness Month by hosting a course for female staff to gain a better understanding of the issue.
Taking place throughout October, World Menopause Awareness is an initiative instigated by the International Menopause Society (IMS). It included a World Menopause Awareness Day on October 18. Its theme was cardiovascular disease (CVD), after the IMS published a whitepaper on the subject, highlighting the risk of CVD as women age.
As part of its mental health training programme, BriggsAmasco held an online seminar for managers and colleagues that focused on recognising menopausal symptoms, available treatment and advice for managing symptoms, and how to support employees and loved ones suffering from the condition. The 30-minute course was sourced by BriggsAmasco’s HR & training department following a company mental health first aid course.
Rebecca Lawther, BriggsAmasco’s HR and training manager, said, “On the back of our mental health training, it was highlighted to our area safety advisors that in such a male dominant sector, more was needed to be done to highlight menopause-associated health issues. Therefore, we asked all of our female staff and department managers to undertake a menopause awareness course to help them better understand the symptoms and effects it has on individual women.
“The course was also held to outline how as a company, we can give staff struggling with the menopause assistance and support, should they ask for it.”
In a report published by perimenopause and menopause experts ‘Health and Her’, menopausal symptoms have been attributed to 14 million working days being lost in the UK.
The number of women employed within the building sector is increasing. Figures published via www.statista.com show that females account for 18% (340,000 employees) of the UK’s professional construction workforce.
A 2019 report by the Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development revealed that three in five menopausal women were negatively affected at work. Rebecca Lawther said such statistics outlined the need for more workplace understanding and support to bolster staff wellbeing.
“Following the success of the online course, we’ve created a specific menopause and perimenopause policy, which advises employees of the support system in place. In addition, we’re recording perimenopause and menopause-related absences separately.
“This will give us better insight into how much of an issue the condition is for our employees. We’re also hoping to introduce a staff menopause risk assessment. Furthermore, we’re looking to appoint a HR menopause champion, providing employees with a known and trusted point-of-contact to confide in and discuss any problems they may have.
“For too long, the menopause has been treated as a something of a taboo subject that women should be left to deal with alone. But at BriggsAmasco, through the stringent mental health protections and programmes we’ve instigated, we have a support network in place to help staff deal with health and other personal issues they may be dealing with. Our company’s wealth is based on the health and wellbeing of our employees. Therefore, we hope fellow construction sector members will join us in fully supporting the International Menopause Society’s aims for World Menopause Awareness Day.”
For more information on World Menopause Awareness Month and how to download the cardiovascular disease whitepaper, visit: https://championhealth.co.uk/insights/menopause-awareness-month.
