We caught up with the team at Powys County Council to hear more about why they became an Endometriosis Friendly Employer and the impact of the scheme in the workplace.
What motivated you to join the Endometriosis Friendly Employer Scheme?
As one of the largest employers in Powys, we are committed to supporting our workforce and helping our employees reach their full potential.
By being an Endometriosis Friendly Employer we are actively supporting staff who have endometriosis and trying to tackle stigma surrounding the condition in the workplace.
We were very proud to be the first local authority in the UK to sign up to the scheme.
What steps have you taken so far to demonstrate commitment to the scheme and employees with endometriosis?
We have a named endometriosis champion, Lowri Shepstone, who works in our Comms Team. Lowri lives with endometriosis herself and has volunteered with Endometriosis UK since 2019, to help raise awareness and offer support across the Mid Wales region. As champion, Lowri is the main point of contact for staff to turn to for support and information relating to the disease.
We have a dedicated endometriosis area on our internal HR hub intranet site that includes lots of useful information for staff and councillors, including a toolkit which has been shared with all of our managers across the council.
We also share information about the condition and the endometriosis friendly employer scheme via our corporate social media pages, local newspapers.
Have you seen any impact following the steps taken? Could you share any examples with us?
We have already seen staff receiving support and advice directly from our endometriosis champion and others that have been signposted to specific information or local services that can help them. There has also been lots of positive feedback about the scheme from staff across our services.
Have you seen support from Senior Leadership?
Yes, our Head of People has been very supportive of the scheme since it was first mentioned to us last year, and we have had interest and support from other managers and elected members too.
We’re encouraging employers across the UK to get involved and pledge their commitment to creating a supportive workplace for employees with endometriosis. What would you say to someone considering joining the scheme?
Joining the scheme is a simple thing that can make such a big difference to those living with endometriosis. With endometriosis affecting 1 in 10 women, and those assigned female at birth, we hope that we will inspire more businesses and organisations in Powys and across mid Wales to sign up and commit to supporting staff who have the condition, so they can thrive at work.
Thank you to Powys Council for your commitment to creating a supportive workplace for employees with endometriosis.
Find out more about the Endometriosis Friendly Employer Scheme here.