Marvin OnumonuCambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service has received Menopause Friendly Accreditation, after an independent panel assessed its work in culture, training, policies, colleague engagement and working environment.
The accreditation sets out to recognise employers making a positive impact for those experiencing menopause.
Hayley Douglas, assistant director for communication and engagement, and menopause champion for Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “We’re incredibly proud to have achieved this accreditation as it validates all the work we have done over the past few years to understand the impact of menopause symptoms on the many different roles people do in our fire service and to ensure the right support is in place.
“But most importantly, it has been about making our workplace somewhere that conversations about menopause and the impact of symptoms can be had openly without embarrassment or fear of being treated differently.
“We’ve provided mandated menopause awareness training to everyone, not just managers, recognising colleague support is so important in how someone feels about being at work while going through all stages of menopause.”
Douglas added: “We’ve also ensured guidance is in place and regularly refreshed, created risk assessments, put posters in washrooms promoting common symptoms, improved toilet and welfare provisions for fire crews at incidents, held internal events and lots more.
“We’ve shared our work with other fire and rescue services too and helped organise large events nationally for employees from all UK fire and rescue services to learn more to benefit themselves and to support others.”
Deborah Garlick, CEO for Henpicked: Menopause in the Workplace, said: “We’re delighted to award Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service with Menopause Friendly Accreditation.
“This achievement recognises the organisation’s exceptional commitment to creating an inclusive and supportive culture where menopause is understood, normalised and openly discussed.
“From embedding menopause awareness into mandatory training to leading national sector conversations, their passion, leadership and dedication are truly inspiring.
“They are not only supporting their own colleagues – they are helping shape the future of menopause support across the emergency services.”
Matthew Warren, chief fire officer for Cambridgeshire, said: “Running a fire service isn’t just about responding to 999 calls and supporting people in our community, we are also passionate about creating a workplace where our employees enjoy coming to work, feel supported, and can thrive in their careers.
“Our work to ensure we support those going through menopause and helping everyone who works here to understand the impact of symptoms so they can be supportive colleagues, is a great example of how we do that.
“We constantly strive to be an inclusive employer, recognising the benefits that has for us in delivering our services to the public and so we’re delighted to have the work we have done in this area officially recognised.”
