Queen’s University Belfast has introduced two new health policies to support staff undergoing fertility treatment or experiencing menopausal symptoms.
Per the new policies, women and their partners are to be offered up to five days of additional paid leave for each fertility treatment cycle.
The menopause policy aims to provide training and awareness for all staff, of which 2,370, out of 4,330, are women. This means that over half of the university’s staff are women, with 45% of them being over 45 years old.
Queen’s University support menopausal staff
Director of the university’s Gender Initiative, Professor Karen McCloskey, told the BBC: ‘We want people to feel confident that they can discuss their individual circumstances and receive practical support.’
The university realised that it needed to do more after feedback from menopause awareness sessions showed that there were improvements to be made.
Dr Jenny Johnston, a GP and a reader in medical education, has also been involved in the university’s awareness sessions. She said that introducing a fertility policy would strengthen women’s health issues and equality in the workplace.
Dr Johnston said: ‘Fertility treatment involves a lot of scans, appointments, injections and it can be very difficult on a couple. It is a huge burden that people carry not just for the women who have the more invasive procedures, but also for the men who are also going through a difficult time.’
Queen’s University has released guidance on menopause, including an FAQs section. Members of staff who are experiencing the menopause transition are advised to approach their line manager, who will help put in place reasonable adjustments.
Reasonable adjustments could involve a fan, fitting blinds to windows, providing spare uniforms if uniforms are compulsory, and the consideration of adjustments to additional PPE.
Adjustments may also include the facilitation of flexible working where possible. This may include changing the pattern of hours working, being given permission to work from home, making adjustments to your workload, reducing hours, or taking more frequent breaks.
The university said that it ‘recognises that colleagues may need additional consideration, support and adjustments during the time before, during and after the menopause and is committed to ensuring that those affected are supported in the workplace.’