Free webinar
26 February 2020, 12.30 – 1.30 pm
It’s a topic we don’t like to talk about. And yet the menopause affects a significant proportion of our workforce for a significant proportion of their working lives. It’s time we started up new conversations, about how the menopause can affect women’s lives, and how we can better support them at work.
In this webinar we learned how a little practical help, combined with greater awareness and understanding from colleagues, can make a huge difference to a woman’s happiness, comfort and in turn her productivity, making the workplace just that little bit more inclusive for everyone. Our speakers explored the topic in a candid but practical way, with advice – and sources of help – for HR professionals, office managers and all team members. They also discussed relevant aspects of employment law, which can come into play when symptoms of the menopause become sufficiently severe to constitute a “disability” or when poor handling of a situation leads to sex discrimination.
Our panellists were:
- Hannah Barton, HR Manager, Marks & Clerk
- Karen Genuardi, Head of People, AA Thornton
- Mandy Laurie, partner and employment lawyer, Burness Paull
The discussion was chaired by IP Inclusive Lead Executive Officer Andrea Brewster OBE.
By way of a taster, we suggested delegates might like to read Mandy Laurie’s blog post: “The Menopause: The new protected characteristic?”.
This webinar was a joint project between our Women in IP and IP Ability communities, kindly hosted by CIPA. You can access a recording of it here (our apologies that the introduction is slightly curtailed due to a technical fault), and the slides here. By way of follow-up, Karen Genuardi has kindly prepared a summary of useful workplace adjustments, which you can read here.