[Fran]

Hi everyone,

Next weeks power hour will be focused on supporting reproductive health at work. We will be answering questions all about supporting colleagues and employees with conditions such as endometriosis and PCOS and providing support on menstrual health, fertility and menopause. Please post your questions here either before or during the event so that we can support you in supporting your teams. The session will be live on Monday 18th May at 1pm.

In the meantime, you may be interested to listen in to our brand new podcast where we discuss all things reproductive health and more in the workplace. You can access the podcast here https://shows.acast.com/workplace-benefits-unwrapped

Look forward to chatting to you all next week!

Fran

[Fran]

Hi all,

A reminder that today’s power hour will be live at 1pm where I will be on hand to answer all of your questions about supporting reproductive health and wellbeing at work. Its simple to join, all you need to do is post your questions in this thread and I will be on hand to answer them throughout the hour.

Speak soon,

Fran

[Fran]

Hi everyone,

We are now live for todays power hour. Please post your questions in this thread and we will answer them throughout the hour.

Speak soon,

Fran

[Fran]

Our first submitted question: What does reproductive health support in the workplace include?

[Fran]

Great question! Workplace reproductive health support often includes:

Menstrual health support
Fertility treatment policies
Pregnancy and baby loss support
Menopause support
Flexible working
Hormonal health awareness
Inclusive parental policies
Mental wellbeing support

It really should recognise that reproductive health can affect employees throughout different life stages but that it also may impact may different groups.

[Fran]

How can employers support employees undergoing fertility treatment?

[Fran]

Supportive employers may offer – Flexible working arrangements, time off for appointments, fertility treatment policies, line manager training, emotional wellbeing support and mental health support, private healthcare benefits where available. The list is not exhaustive and some organisations may have additional support methods. Its also a great idea to create safe spaces for people to chat and be open.

[Fran]

What is a fertility workplace policy?

[Fran]

A fertility policy outlines how an organisation supports employees undergoing fertility investigations or treatment. You can often find them via your HR team.

It may include advice and support for leave guidance, flexible working and requests, confidentiality and privacy, responsibilities of your manager and HR, wellbeing support.

Its important to remember that its not a one size fits all.

[Fran]

How can workplaces support menopause?

[Fran]

Support menopause and peri-menopause may include menopause awareness training for staff and line managers, flexible working processes, temperature controlled environments or separate uniform policies, access to occupational health services, mental and emotional wellbeing support and encouraging and supporting open conversations without stigma.

Menopause symptoms can significantly affect confidence, sleep, concentration, and wellbeing, so its important to ensure that these areas are supported in workplace policies and processes.

[Fran]

Thank you to everyone that joined us today and for submitting the questions. Join us for our next power hour in June where we will be discussing hot to support LGBT+ Pathways to parenthood.

Thanks,

Fran

[Author]

Posts