Menopause policy to support female Walsall Council staff

The authority believes it is one of the first councils to introduce new measures to raise awareness and develop understanding of the issue as well as providing training for managers and employers.

Around 70 per cent of Walsall Council’s workforce is female with around 60 per cent of all staff aged between 40 and 60.

Walsall Council leader Mike Bird said the policy was welcome as the menopause was “overlooked” with little or no understanding amongst men.

HR manager Nik Rickhuss said menopause champions will be created within the authority to give support to women who need it.

She said: “It’s about raising the awareness across the council about the concept of menopause, encouraging employees to talk about menopause symptoms and the impact it is having on them at work.

“Some recent research suggests it can severely affect a number of women, so much so that it affects their ability to work, their productivity or potentially even force them to leave.

“It’s very individual so it’s important for people to understand it doesn’t affect everyone in the same way or for the same severity or length of time.

“It is thought of as a taboo subject and what we want to do is unravel that and make sure employees and managers have got the confidence to talk about it, they are being supported and thet’ve got somewhere to go.

“We’re thinking about what we can do in their jobs to support them whether that’s reasonable adjustments or just having someone to talk to.”

Michele Leith, Walsall Council’s director of HR, added: “We are one of the first local authorities to actually bring forward such a policy.”

Councillor Bird said: This is new for us and I applaud the people involved because it is something that is overlooked by many.

“Quite honestly, a lot of us men don’t understand when a lady is obviously going through this stage of life. “The policy is very welcome.”