Staff of Sustainability Victoria (SV) experiencing symptoms of menstruation or menopause are to receive additional paid leave, flexible work options and support under a new Agency-wide policy.
Chief People Officer at SV, Hannah Vine said that under the Menstruation and Menopause Policy, additional paid leave as well as other flexible work options could be tailored to suit each staff member’s needs.
Ms Vine said the new policy was one of the first of its kind within the Victorian Public Service and, in addition to providing tangible support to staff, aimed to tackle the stigma around menstruation and menopause.
“The Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees revealed that menopause costs Australian women billions of dollars annually through lost earnings and super due to early retirement,” Ms Vine said.
“By introducing a formal policy, SV hopes to break down some of that stigma and normalise the conversation around menstruation and menopause, sending a strong message that these are experiences faced by many with a financial and societal impact.”
She said the idea for the policy was sparked by a conversation among members of SV’s Gender Equality Working Group.
Ms Vine said the policy had since been supported by staff and endorsed by the executive leadership team.
“We’ve got these great diversity and inclusion champions in our organisation who have formed a number of working groups and they are really leading the way,” SV’s Chief People Officer said.
“The best thing about these groups is that staff members are able to use their own life experiences to inform our policy.”
Interim Chief Executive of SV, Matt Genever said the reception from staff members had been resoundingly positive throughout the policy’s consultation period.
“Everyone is really excited by the policy and feel proud to work at SV as a place that’s leading the way for the Victorian Public Service,” Mr Genever said.
“This is a starting point for other kinds of policies that consider people’s different life experiences, their diversity and backgrounds,” he said.
“There’s always more we can do, but I feel this is a really good start,” he said.
