APPRENTICE star and West Ham United vice-chairman Karren Brady answers your career questions.
Here she gives advice to a reader who has been diagnosed with autism.
Q: I’m in a management role and recently a woman on my team confided in me that she’s started going through menopause, which is not something I’ve ever encountered in a work environment (or privately) before.
I want to be as compassionate as possible, supporting her through this potentially uncertain and difficult time, but I’m not sure how best to help myself or the company in general.
Do you have any advice?
Steve, via email
A: It’s great that you’re making an effort to understand your team’s needs – it demonstrates strong management skills.
Additionally, creating an environment where a team member feels comfortable confiding in you about their menopause experience speaks volumes about your management capabilities.
Handling these situations with sensitivity, empathy and understanding is crucial.
Although you may not have knowledge, you are expressing your willingness to learn.
Many companies have guidelines on how to deal with menopause in the workplace, so speak to HR to find out what specific support yours offers.
If your company doesn’t have this, you can encourage it to do so.
At West Ham United, we were the first Premier League football club to receive Menopause Friendly accreditation, so you can be the first in your sector too.
Make sure your colleague knows that you and the company are committed to supporting them during this time.
Ask her opinion on how the company can provide better support – for example, flexible working arrangements.
Keep in mind that regular check-ins will be essential to assess how she is coping and whether she needs additional support to work.
- Have a career question for Karen? Email bossingit@fabulousmag.co.uk.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
