Luke Pollard MP Member of Parliament for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport
Once a month I hold a ‘Politics & Pastries’ round table discussion to bring together stakeholders from different communities in Plymouth to discuss their experiences
and how I might be able to help as their local MP.
The latest session was held on the17th November, at Barclays Bank in Plymouth City Centre. This month, I brought together representatives from across the city to share best practice around supporting people going through the menopause.
The menopause affects all of us. Half the population directly, and the other half indirectly and it is important that businesses understand how to support and make reasonable adjustments to support their staff.
The discussion on menopause began with a presentation from the Citizens Advice Bureau on signs and symptoms of menopause, and how it can impact folk in work and in their personal lives. We heard from businesses, charities and trade unions about the practices they already have in place, but through sharing best practice, how much more we can all do.
I want every business in Plymouth to be menopause friendly and to have policies in place that support people experiencing menopause. At the roundtable we heard about too many people leaving work because they cannot manage their symptoms at work or because of employers who were not prepared to make reasonable adjustments. This not only wastes the talent in our city, but it lowers economic growth. It is time all of us took steps to recognise the menopause as a normal life event and ensure all our workplaces support people with menopause.
The roundtable also heard that this is not only about women, it needs to be inclusive and be about men too. We can all take steps to make every workplace menopause friendly, and part of that is addressing the stigma around menopause, talking about it and making sure office and workplace environments are suitable for all.
I’m really pleased that today’s discussion produced actions for organisations present to work together to look at how Plymouth can be more menopause friendly. As a local MP I want to see our city recognise the talents of all its citizens and too many businesses are failing to do so when it comes to menopause. Let’s break the stigma around menopause and make the most of every person in our workplaces.
You can find more information about the menopause here:
If you are in need of support with any of these issues, please get in touch at luke.pollard.mp@parliament.uk or call 01752 717255.