Even more relevant, however, is the ethos of the Riveter, which offers educational content and services for businesses, promising to help them learn «what is working for other industries and workplaces to increase equity.» Her employees, about 85 percent of whom are women, would be aware of a growing body of research suggesting that one of the most effective remedies for race and gender discrepancies in salary is pay transparency.
Even employees who suspect they would benefit from learning about pay inequities in their workplaces might hesitate to pursue the information: Few people want to hear or deliver uncomfortable news, even if the information has real use.
The paucity of reports that examine the costs associated with menopause in the workplace is yet another sign of the suppression of conversation about the topic; there are even fewer accounts about the costs of the silence that shrouds it.
This silence stifles the possibilities of implementing work practices that could assist women, such as flexible working or workplace environment changes.
While these guidelines for women’s managers and colleagues can help create a workplace where it’s safer to talk about menopause, and while the work of overcoming the taboos should not fall on women, the reality is that women going through menopause will confront uncomfortable situations with colleagues.
Despite this, it is still not uncommon to see people with tattoos refused work, asked to cover them up in the workplace, or asked not to get them in the first place.
Despite this, it is still not uncommon to see people with tattoos refused work, asked to cover them up in the workplace, or asked not to get them in the first place Ruby, a second-year English student agrees that tattoos should not be a reason to get fired or rejected.
The move to normalise mental health initiatives into general wellbeing and safety planning has recently received a major step forward when UK businesses joined forces with mental health charities and non-governmental organisations in the most widespread collaboration of its kind to promote a nationwide commitment on improving mental health care in the workplace.
Paul Farmer, CEO of Mind and co-author of the Thriving at Work review, says: »It’s great to see so many employers take proactive steps towards creating mentally healthy workplaces by engaging with The Mental Health at Work Commitment.
International law firm Norton Rose Fulbright ‘s head of human resources, Asia, Yvonne Sin shed light on typical questions around women and workplace diversity and inclusion.
When it comes to the workplace, if we are honest we will admit to spending a whole lot of time engaged in cross-cubicle banter or perhaps even extended chit-chat around the water cooler or at the coffee machine.
Camera Icon Professor Gary Martin Credit: Bruno Kongawoin With many workplaces now encouraging employees to bring »their whole selves to work«, there appear to be few if any barriers to the topics discussed around the water cooler.
With many workplaces now encouraging employees to bring ‘their whole selves to work’, there appear to be few if any barriers to the topics discussed around the water cooler.
The bottom line is that the information you put out there in the workplace often has a strange way of coming back to bite you, particularly if you have an oversharing approach in which you »show up and throw up« all sorts of information.
The last thing you want to do is have unflattering, discriminatory or offensive views attributed to you or even a workplace perception that you lack discretion.
The COVID-19 pandemic has already disrupted American society, causing the stock market to plummet, and workplaces, theaters and sports leagues to close down as people across the country stockpile food and hole up at home.
With the initial panic and uncertainty of lockdown having subsided for many of us lucky still to be working, the next item on the agenda for a lot of firms has been to address their teams’ mental wellbeing. » Despite the fact mental illness is much less of a taboo topic now, it’s still difficult to communicate about it on an individual level, especially in the workplace, and if it happens seemingly ‘out of the blue’. » The lockdown makes it much easier to ask for help because everyone already imagines people may be feeling challenged. » It feels a lot less shameful than telling people you don’t know very well that you feel anxious or depressed. » It was this that ultimately helped me when a kind nurse asked if I would employ myself given the state I was in . » If this clarity and specificity were extended beyond the pandemic, it would make it a lot easier for people with mental health issues in the workplace to ask for help. »
Finally, Tina Opie joins the Amys to share their experiences with managing symptoms at work. » Every woman’s transition is different, but it’s a shared experience worth talking about. » These and other menopause symptoms can cause many women to feel less confident and competent, but being able to talk about your symptoms with colleagues and asking for the support you need can ease that anxiety. » AMY GALLO: It was a squirmy moment me too, a bit, though it made total sense to talk about menopause if we’re talking about the aging at work. » HEATHER HIRSCH: So the idea that menopause is just this one point in time, or this one year is a myth that can really harm women because when you’re postmenopausal or even after menopause, you can have symptoms that last a really long time, affecting your social life, affecting your life at work and just every arena of your life. » Other women, other men at my company to say, OK, so I may be one of the examples of more dramatic symptoms of menopause, but I felt like by sharing which is one of the keys to making workplaces more open and accepting of menopausal symptoms that I was actually furthering a culture of openness and change and transformation around women’s issues, and then this being a big one for many of the people in my company potentially. » And I think about talking about it at work and I’m fine thinking about sharing it with my Women at Work colleagues, but then when I think about mentioning it to men, I have to say, I sort of get uneasy about it. »
If you’re wondering what the ‘P’ in ‘P-Valley’ stands for, look no further than the title of Katori Hall’s 2015 play: «Pussy Valley.» Starz urged the playwright-turned-showrunner to abbreviate the name of her new series, which debuts Sunday — though not, Hall said, because the network itself was squeamish. » «P-Valley,» premiering Sunday on Starz, peers inside a Southern strip club. » VIDEO | 00:40 ‘P-Valley’ upside down pole dance The character Mercedes performs in a scene from Starz’ «P-Valley,» which showcases strippers as athletes and artists. » I went to clubs in [Washington] D.C., Atlanta, Memphis, L.A., all over the nation, and interviewed about 40 women over six years, but because of the volume of research I had, I really struggled with landing on just one story. » It’s still about this group of women and their workplace, but because we’ve added this David-versus-Goliath fight against these people who want to tear down the strip club and build a casino, that workplace exists within an environment where there are so many levels of conflict: political, social, economical. »
Stigma around mental health in the workplace persists in many organisations, amid signs that stress is putting significant pressure on workers across a range of industries, claims new research from the ADP Research Institute . » According to the Mental Health Foundation, 70 million workdays are lost each year due to mental health problems in the UK, costing employers approximately £2.4 billion per year. » The shadow of shame Annabel Jones, HR Director at ADP UK, commented: «Mental health issues are still being hidden away in the workplace under a shadow of shame, with a detrimental knock-on effect on both workers and businesses.» «Despite several notable attempts to tackle the taboos, there is still a long way to go to open up the conversation. »However, given that extreme and chronic stress can be a trigger for mental health problems, employers may also need to think about how to ease the burden on workers which may contribute to poor health, whether that’s physical or mental. »
As a consequence, employers have responded to legalization by ignoring the issue altogether, or implementing top-down policies aimed at limiting liabilities. » I definitely don’t have all the answers, but as the CEO of an ecommerce agency in a jurisdiction where cannabis was recently legalized, I’ve realized there is middle ground to strike — and it starts with including your team in decisions around how to handle weed at work. » We found that encouraging our team to talk about cannabis allowed people with opposing views to work out differences among themselves. » In the end, we came up with a plan that reflected our values as a team: we treat cannabis the same way we treat alcohol. » Basically, as long as it doesn’t harm anyone or interfere with their work, people can use cannabis, or alcohol, however they want. » In the meantime, however, cannabis as a workplace issue is here, now, and it will only become more pressing in the years ahead. »
Implementing a supportive workplace fertility policy is good for business and employees, yet nearly two thirds of firms in the UK do not have such a policy to support employees going through fertility treatment, according to Fertility Network UK research. » The demand for workplace fertility support is there. » Women and men having fertility treatment therefore experience considerable conflict between the demands of work and the time and emotional demands of treatment. » However, in the UK, pre-conception care is not a statutory right, so employees do not have a right to absences for fertility treatment or the right to request flexible working, like they do for pre-natal and post-natal care. » Workplace fertility support can make all the difference in managing this highly stressful juggling act while experiencing treatment and after failed treatment as IVF fails 75 per cent of the time. » Staff who did not receive employer support reported higher levels of distress and more frequent suicidal feelings, and took more time off work.» pictures in some way ring a bell subconsciously, so people remember them«
Discussing our incomes with friends and colleagues is considered taboo by many. » But, by not talking about salaries, we may be doing ourselves a great injustice, says Geraldine Walsh Let’s talk about money, specifically our income. » It’s one of the great workplace taboos, alongside eating someone else’s yogurt in the office fridge. » In a past life, I worked in the public sector.
Knowing everyone’s pay however, says Beth, »can lead to resentment at times, when you think someone is getting paid too much for what they’re doing. » « In general, she sees it as a good thing but can understand how our ability to honestly have this discussion is hit with a barrier as it’s not something we’re ordinarily comfortable with. » Áine Crilly, of The HR Elephant, believes the fear of the unknown is what stops us in our tracks when divulging that all important figure. » Crilly recognises the pay rise process is a very grey area in the workplace. »
That fundamentally, the men are predators – but that is not the reality among most sex workers.» She says the Nordic model is «based on this false radical feminist narrative that we are ‘renting the inside of our bodies’ – the way abolitionists talk is so much more degrading and sexually fetishising than any client I’ve encountered.» Abolitionists, meanwhile, argue that criminalising aspects of sex work – putting the onus on the client – keeps women safer and empowers them more in this particular workplace. » Parreira says abolitionists need to actually talk to more sex workers themselves, but Bindel says Parreira’s experience isn’t everyone’s. »
Already in the days of Plinius the elder , menstruating women were described as a danger to their environment—an idea which became embedded in encyclopaedias and widely spread, in various forms, across the centuries. » Online survey MENSEN recently conducted an online survey, which showed that in the Swedish job market menstruators and those suffering from menstrual-cycle-related issues were still affected by stigmas, taboos and adverse norms in various ways. » Nevertheless, few workplaces are adapted to the needs of menstruators. » Among workers whose physical workplace varies, such as bus drivers or people working outdoors, limited access to toilets is a big obstacle during days of bleeding. » All menstruators are different, and so are workplaces around Europe and elsewhere. » Whereas some workplaces might end up with a local menstrual policy—as has been implemented with great results at the English organisation CoExist—for others the best way forward will be to add menstruators’ perspectives into their current procedures around work environment and discrimination. »
Andrew Berrie, employer programme manager at the Time to Change campaign, says nine in 10 people who experience mental health problems report facing stigma and discrimination. » When she meets employers who tell her they »don’t have a problem with mental health« in their workplace, she says she raises an eyebrow. » If the leader is not tolerant of mental health problems, you’ll have a culture where you don’t talk about them and they get driven underground. » Although mental health and physical health work very differently, employers have a legal responsibility to treat these two kinds of illnesses exactly the same, says Richard Martin, a former employment lawyer who is now head of mental health at consultancy Byrne Dean and author of This Too Will Pass: Anxiety in a Professional World.
But the reality for a lot of businesses is the most serious risks are for mental health.» There is an obligation on employers to ensure the workplace is safe from excessive pressure and the problems that may come from that. »
Speaking at Citywire’s South East event, Feeney discussed how he had launched a mental health initiative at his firm called Thrive. » He revealed that the programme has helped him with his own personal challenges with mental health, adding that he is currently going through a divorce process that is both ‘stressful and sad’. » She said: ‘There seems to be something behavioural where people won’t put themselves first. » ’ Steve Nelson, consulting director at asset management and platforms consultancy, The Lang Cat, talked to the panel about his struggles with mental health, and how his work colleagues responded to him taking time off: ‘If I’d had a broken arm, people would have been asking me questions all day about it. » ‘We don’t have the societal framework to know how to deal with mental health. » ’ Nelson told attendees at the retreat that responses to panel discussions on mental health have been polarised. » However, Amy McKeown, a mental health and workplace stress expert, said: ‘Tech cannot replace understanding your team. » You can have the best mental health policy in the world, but you need a proper HR support process in place to make it work. » ’ Feeney added that it was crucial to have a personal approach to mental health support, as it ‘makes more of an impact’. »
Already in the days of Plinius the elder , menstruating women were described as a danger to their environment – an idea which became embedded in encyclopedias and widely spread, in various forms, across the centuries. » Online survey MENSEN recently conducted an online survey, which showed that, in the Swedish job market, menstruators and those suffering from menstrual-cycle-related issues were still affected by stigmas, taboos and adverse norms in various ways. » Nevertheless, few workplaces are adapted to the needs of menstruators. » With menstrual certification, MENSEN strives to cast light on menstruation as one dimension, among many others, of the physical, organisational and social environment of the workplace. » Whereas some workplaces might end up with a local menstrual policy – as has been implemented with great results at the English organisation CoExist – for others the best way forward will be to add menstruators’ perspectives into their current procedures around work environment and discrimination. »
Workplace stress costs the American economy billions of dollars a year, according to researchers – but many employees don’t feel comfortable asking to take a break from their workplace to practice self-care. » And burnout isn’t limited to people who don’t enjoy their jobs – one in five U.S. » workers reported feeling both highly engaged at work and high levels of burnout, according to a study conducted by Yale University last year. » Wellness app Shine asked almost 2,000 of its 4 million members how they felt workplaces could help prevent employee burnout, finding that 97% of people who had taken a mental health day felt it improved their performance. » Shine co-founders Marah Lidey and Naomi Hirabayashi are working with employers across the U.S. » to arrange a nationwide Mental Health Break on Wednesday at 3 p.m., hoping it will help workplaces foster environments where mental health is no longer a taboo subject. » Lidey and Hirabayashi told CNBC over the phone this week that people suffering with burnout or poor mental health often entered a spiral of silence, where they felt they couldn’t admit to problems at work and self-blamed. » People told us they didn’t necessarily want employers to put formal, set policies in place, but show they support employees take the time they need, Lidey explained. »
SINGAPORE – A trusting office environment where workers can raise personal concerns without fear of being judged is key in helping them manage their jobs and their duties at home, a panel of experts said on Tuesday . » They noted that such a workplace can be created by having bosses who can set clear targets, deliver good instructions and champion flexible work arrangements. » But a climate of psychological safety is necessary for workers to feel safe enough to be honest with their supervisors about their needs, said Mr Amos Lim, who works at consultancy firm Emergenetics Caelan & Sage. » Measures that build trust between bosses and employees include establishing and communicating performance targets such as deadlines, instead of relying on benchmarks such as the hours they spend in the office, he added. » Another way is to address concerns that employees might have when the boss requires sudden changes to their schedules, such as work trips. » Trust is also important between colleagues who might have to shoulder a heavier workload as a result of flexible work arrangements, the panellists said. »
The text of this article was generated by the Breaking The Silence system that collected 134 news articles posted on the web from January 2019 to September 2020 and clustered for the taboo subjects related to workplaces
