College is invited to Number 10 to discuss menopause in the workplace

Gower College Swansea’s Director of HR Sarah King was invited into Downing Street this week (Monday 4 March) to kick off the celebrations for International Women’s Day (IWD) 2024.

Sarah was invited to take part in a roundtable session on Menopause in the Workplace ahead of IWD today (Friday 8 March). The roundtable was hosted by Minister Mims Davies and a selection of female leaders were in attendance from across many sectors. The open discussions focused on employer support for people affected by the menopause in the workplace and the IWD theme of Inspire inclusion as it relates to menopause support.

The roundtable also marked the publication of the Menopause Employment Champion’s 12-month progress report, Shattering the Silence about Menopause and the re-launch of the Menopause Resources Hub on the Help to Grow portal.

Gower College Swansea has played a crucial role in championing menopause awareness in the workplace, with a yearly agenda of informational sessions, workshops, and training designed to educate employees on how to understand and provide support for women experiencing menopause-related challenges at work.

This dedicated effort has been recognised when the College won best Health and Wellbeing Initiative at the national CIPD awards last year. They are also finalists at the forthcoming Wales CIPD awards for best Wellbeing Initiative on 15 March, best Wellbeing Initiative and best Public Sector Organisation at the British HR Awards on 16 April and best Women’s Health Initiative at the Inside Out Awards on 13 June.

Speaking about the invitation, Sarah said: “Being invited to participate in the roundtable event at Downing Street was truly an honor and an amazing experience. Our work in raising awareness and providing support for women’s health and wellbeing at the College has made a significant difference and continues to make a positive impact.”

Additional activities for IWD at the College this week included a collection of motivational videos stories by senior leaders. Furthermore, staff were encouraged to celebrate the achievements and contributions of inspirational women within the organisation by nominating them for recognition.