NHS to offer “light duties” to menopausal women.

Because times change?

What small busines will be able to afford to take on women. Time off for periods or menopause, pregnancy and childcare, talk of time off if your pet dies. When a person is away or on light duties who picks up the slack? These things are part of life, we took it in our stride, women generally live longer than men, who have to put up with things and suffer stress as a result.

I don’t think that because we had to ‘get on with it’ that our daughters and granddaughters should have to do likewise though.

A lot depends on how it is managed. It is possible that it could lead to resentment and be bad for women at a time when our rights are precarious, but in principle it could be a good thing. Allowing women with flooding periods to switch to duties that are not public-facing for a few days a month might be perfectly reasonable in retail, say; but would probably be less so in something like teaching. Where it can be done without obvious problems for colleagues I think it’s a step in the right direction.

I think its a sensible move for those who really really suffer badly.

Better than them leaving, or taking lots of time off sick, which does happen. I was lucky with the big M but others are not. I think we'll keep staff better that way, crucial in current climate.

I’d usually be championing changes in the workplace that I,prove things for women. We need subsidised good quality wrap round childcare.
I’m concerned that the focus on the menopause suggests every woman needs special treatment, over a number of years. That’s like assuming every post natal mother will be in full mental health crisis.
Our experience of menopause is individual. We can see our GP and effective treatments are available. I appreciate things change as kittylester says. My worry is this can be used to put women down in the age old ‘dominated by hormones’ dismissal

Well the NHS certainly knows how to spend our money doesn’t it?
MzOops has been menopausal for a few years, the last thing she would want is for everyone to know about it. Whatever ‘Womens problems’ women have through their lives (not just menopause) I can’t see that making employers pay for it is a good idea.
Certainly a bit of understanding is a good thing, but light duties? Nurses working from home? Whilst the NHS employ more Agency Staff, how’s that going to work?

Cross posted there. I had flooding that meant I’d to keep a change of clothes at work. A course of hormones sorted it. My work wouldn’t have enabled a non public facing role.

Male staff will certainly be seen as a better option soon won’t they?

I struggled with flooding and the fear of it happening in front of a lecture hall full of students. The heating was often a problem too - I remember one time when I’d adjusted the thermostat in the morning and forgot to reset it. I was back in the same hall in the afternoon and the students were sitting in their coats, scarves and gloves .

Light duties wouldn’t have been possible but some roles would lend themselves to adjustments, and I would support that, even if not everyone could benefit.

In practice allowances are made for any physical condition that affects your ability to work to full capacity, most don’t want to be seen as letting the team down and soldier on. Light duties or home working are a better option than having a day off.

This wouldn't work in teaching, because obviously you can't work shifts, and frequently you the only adult in a classroom with no other adults nearby to take over if a 'crisis' occurs; ( I spent many years teaching in a mobile classroom on the playing field a long distance from the female lavatories, and the facilities were not good.)
That said, I managed the menopause with very little difficulty, and I do think problems are being over emphasised now.

I don't see a problem as they are 'offering' it, not insisting on it. I think it can only be a good thing. I had menopausal periods which were horrific, lasted sixteen weeks and I flooded every time I stood up. As a teacher, I couldn't always leave a class. It was eventually dealt with but for a while it was awful. The light duties wouldn't necessarily last forever.

Oopsadaisy
It’s already happening, and has been for some years.

It is good that any employer should recognise that some women have menstrual problems; just as it is good if an employer recognises and accommodates off days that any employee might have, male or female, for whatever reason.

Singling out menopausal women as having problems might deter the employment of women of the relevant age.

I found flooding to be the worst problem,at one point I had to give up work whilst awaiting a hysterectomy.
One day during a particularly bad period the inevitable happened,couldnt get to the toilet in time,had to walk through a factory of men and women looking like a blood bath had happened,I didnt return to the job as I was temping.
A few months later I had a hysterectomy fortunately .

There are countless NHS posts that this simply would not be a practical solution for. It might suit some of the pen pushing management types but certainly wouldn't be ideal for a theatre nurse, surgeon or frontline ambulance personnel.

The menopause presents such a gamut of symptoms from hardly anything at all to most severe, it's really hard to categorise. I certainly think some women have it really bad so maybe they need to have some slack cut for them, if indeed their job allows that. It's a hard one, but a blanket roll out might well prejudice older women's opportunities.

I can remember having excruciating period pains on one or two occasions when I was at work in my early years, I went home with the excuse I was feeling sick, I think maybe one of my bosses guessed what the problem was, but I wasn't forced to elaborate. It didn't happen that often, pre children, periods were never as bad after giving birth.

Downtoearth - I arrived to deliver specialist training to police and social workers, 50 waiting. I’d to drive home, luckily only 35 mins away, shower change and return at 11 to start rather than 9 am scheduled. Luckily, my police colleague stepped in. I phoned my GP who arranged a hormone prescription.

He said I shouldn’t be ‘getting on with it’, if any changes other part of my body was bleeding like this, I wouldn’t have hesitated to get in touch with the practice. He was right of course. He referred me for hysterectomy but it settled with hormone treatment. I feared the hormone treatment in reading my cancer risk but I’m 73 and so far ok

I had to walk from one end of Leicester to the other in a long white jumper with a huge blood stain front and back. I was so embarrassed I couldn't think sensibly enough to do anything but make for the safety of my car where I bled all over the seat.

My gp told me that no one ever died of a period. I changed GPs.

Wow kittylester - make or female or someone who’d transcended such labels

He was a lovely gp - nice wife, 4 children, same ages as ours etc, etc. I was so shocked.

Changed to the loveliest young female gp. Who at least waited a while before emigrating to NZ.

kittylester, I once got a frantic phone call from a friend 'trapped' in the ladies loo of a shopping centre. I went with a bin bag, clean clothes and baby wipes - although it took me an hour to get there.

I remember some awful days at school and work, as a teenager, young woman, when pregnant - and during the menopause. I would have welcomed 'lighter duties' as I rarely had a day off - and just battled on. Perhaps there would be less staff sickness with more flexibility?

Another one here who suffered from horrendous flooding. The predicaments I have been in!

In my last job before retiring as a Senior Nurse Manager in the NHS I was on my knees with menopausal symptoms (which as it happened also revealed a more serious diagnosis). I asked to go to some flexi or part time or working from home for a day a week or a mix of all three. This was refused so I felt I had to retire 5 years earlier than planned. I was wrung out.