By Romanie Thomas, CEO and Founder of Juggle Jobs
More often than not, this biological change occurs at a critical juncture in a woman’s career. With the majority of women experiencing menopause between the ages of 45 and 55, this is a point where many have reached top leadership, c-suite, or managerial roles within their respective companies. Despite this, businesses continually struggle to support experienced female workers as they go through menopause. Of course, it’s not just menopause that needs to be considered; we need to remove the taboo surrounding other important female life events such as periods, pregnancy, the loss of a pregnancy or child and abortion, too.
A 2019 survey conducted by BUPA and the Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development (CIPD) found that three in five menopausal women (aged between 45 and 55) were negatively affected at work – and almost 900,000 women in the UK had left their jobs because of menopausal symptoms. The loss of women from the workforce, while they are at the peak of their professional careers, is not only a huge detriment to the economy, but also to diversity at executive levels. This in turn contributes to the gender pay gap. Although discrimination against menopause is covered under The Equality Act 2010, and The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, employers are still not doing enough to protect and support their staff through this difficult time.
The lack of support for those going through menopause is a real threat to the workforce. With the pandemic regularly cited as eroding many of the hard-earned gains of the past few years, we are currently at a point in time when whatever equity women have managed to secure is in danger.
There are many reasons for this, but the underlying theme is of workplaces that cannot or will not support the specific needs of women. Never has the noise around diversity, equity and inclusion been as loud, but those companies that claim to put DEI at the heart of their culture while failing to acknowledge the needs of employees will be exposed. The pandemic has made many reassess their values – when it comes to work, that means interrogating whether their employer is truly supportive of their needs. Businesses that ignore these issues or do the bare minimum run the risk of losing vital staff at a critical moment.
Employers need to be proactive in removing these workplace taboos and tackling the underlying culture that propagates them. One of the best ways in which companies can help to support their staff who are suffering from menopause is to normalise flexible working. Flexible working is not a women-only issue, it’s a human one. It also isn’t always connected to health or childcare, but a large part of it is. Making flexible working the de facto way to work would not isolate those experiencing pressures such as these.
Companies that prepare for inclusivity will not only openly and clearly communicate policies but will also be proactively changing the narrative around menopause, female reproductive issues, and other health conditions. They will go beyond what is legally required and expected to ensure that every member of their team feels included and supported. Not only will this instil a sense of trust within employees, but it will also nurture loyalty, especially if companies offer additional support.
To create change, we need those in power to stand up and advocate for a kinder, more compassionate workplace – one that makes clear that everyone is extremely welcome and fundamentally valued.
Now the decision-makers have to decide whether they want to perpetuate the status quo, or to make the necessary organisational changes that will lead to a brighter, more accepting and diverse future.
Romanie is building a platform that will forever alter the way businesses hire experienced workers – what she calls the ‘flexperts’. As a successful head-hunter, she understands first-hand how companies can hire and retain senior staff – the answer is flexible, fair, and supportive working arrangements. More critically, during her decade-long career as a senior recruiter, Romanie saw little progress on diversity at the leadership level. Today, less than 10% of business executives are women. Romanie has a vision to grow this percentage to 50% by 2027, and with the success of Juggle Jobs and its flexpert community, she is uniquely positioned to do so.
May
20may18:0020:00This Independent Life | Building a Career in Women's Health | Workshop
20/05/2024 18:00 - 20:00(GMT+01:00)
Are you looking to build or pivot to a career in women’s health but don’t know where to start? Join this workshop & make it happen in 2024!
This session will be recorded and shared with all attendees after for future reference and to make it accessible to people with conflicts or who are in different time zones.
In 2022, Rebekah quit her senior job leading an independent healthcare communications and consultancy in London to start TIL. She’s now a women’s health advocate, speaker and advisor, event and podcast host, and thought leader in the women’s health space. She knows first-hand what it’s like to have a passion and desire to work in women’s health without knowing where to start, and is now passionate about helping others to do the same. Her clients include global organisations such as UNiDAYS, whistles, Schroders, University of Oxford and Imperial College London, she’s been featured in The Guardian, Nasdaq, Cosmopolitan and Stylist, and she leads and advises on a variety of women’s health initiatives, including workplaces, universities, charities, research, and start-ups. She’s educated 1000’s across the world and collaborates with renowned institutions, brands and leaders across the women’s health industry, such as for her annual, first-of-its-kind, Future of Endometriosis Conference in London. A Biomedical Science graduate, she’s an experienced creative leader and facilitator across the healthcare space having worked in research, the NHS, pharmaceuticals, communications and consultancy, and having lead, launched and grown international multi-million dollar accounts, brands and teams.
This will be a safe space for learning and is open to anyone regardless of your background, all are welcome (including allies, babies and animals!) If you’d like to join but can’t afford it right now please get in touch and we’ll see what we can do to support.
We look forward to welcoming you there and to supporting you in building a thriving women’s health career in 2024 and beyond!
Rebekah,
Founder of This Independent Life
Rebekah Lloyd is a women’s health and careers expert, speaker and advisor, event and podcast host, and founder of This Independent Life. After experiencing burnout and chronic pain, a 10-year delayed endometriosis diagnosis, and the resulting career and financial challenges, she started This Independent Life to help all people to achieve health, wealth and fulfilment in life. She delivers talks, events and consulting for workplaces and universities, research institutes and startups, and communities. She is a UN Women UK delegate and is dedicated to using business as a force for good, her clients including global organisations such as Barclays, National Trust, UNiDAYS, Whistles, University of Oxford and Imperial College London. She hosts an annual first-of-its-kind global conference on the Future of Endometriosis and Women’s Health, has been featured internationally including The Guardian, Stylist and Nasdaq, and was recently invited to advise the UK Parliament Women and Equalities Committee on women’s health as a result of her work that was broadcast globally via the BBC.
Reserve your spot here.
21may10:0012:00Beginner's Guide to Social Media Analytics for Charities (21 May) | Media Trust
21/05/2024 10:00 - 12:00(GMT+01:00)
Join this exciting new webinar to learn how to understand and master your social media analytics. Do
Do you know what is and what isn’t working for your charity on social media? We put so much time and effort into creating engaging and entertaining content, we want that effort to count. Measuring what’s working for your organisation should be a vital part of our digital marketing strategy – but where do you start?
In this 2-hour session, we’ll explore the fundamentals of tracking performance across various social media platforms. You’ll learn how to set achievable social media goals and how to measure the correct metrics. We’ll also cover all the different ways you can record your data and present it back to your team in a way that helps inform all future decisions.
This training will be delivered online, via Zoom. If you would prefer to pay via invoice, please email [email protected]
This session is ideal for you if you are responsible for your organisation’s social media and are looking for ways to use data to improve performance.
Beginner
Jade is an expert in supporting both charities and small businesses to transform their digital comms. She specialises in delivering training that builds digital skills and confidence, despite small budgets and time constraints. Working for Media Trust, she’s had the privilege of designing and delivering training for hundreds of charities, and really understands the challenges and barriers they are facing. Jade loves all things digital and is a firm believer that succeeding in digital is about having a curious mindset, and always being open to learning new things.
Reserve your spot here.
22may13:0014:00Foundations of Positive Leadership | Clear Sea Coaching
22/05/2024 13:00 - 14:00(GMT+01:00)
Learn how to lead with positivity and inspire others in our online event, Foundations of Positive Leadership! Welcome to the Foundations of Positive Leadership event! Join us online
Learn how to lead with positivity and inspire others in our online event, Foundations of Positive Leadership!
Welcome to the Foundations of Positive Leadership event!
Join us online to discover the key principles and strategies that make a great leader. Learn how to inspire and motivate your team, cultivate a positive work environment, and lead with confidence. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to take your leadership to the next level!
Reserve your spot here.