Menopause Awareness Month
October is Menopause Awareness Month and so a great opportunity to highlight the menopause policy (that was created by a working group in 2023/2024 and shared wider in June 2024) and also guidance and information for line managers. It is important that we all have some awareness of the menopause and the impact it can have on health and wellbeing so we can mindful in ways that we support our colleagues and team members.
Flexi-time and TOIL
The flexi-time and TOIL working group have met recently (find out more information in the general Staff Matters about this.) Just to highlight to you as Line Managers that following SLT looking over the draft policy we will hold some drop ins for you to attend to ask any questions. We will confirm details of these closer to the time but for now, save the dates of Thursday 7 November or Tuesday 12 November.
Appraisals/ Annual Reviews
Within Home for Good and Safe Families we have had appraisals / annual reviews between January and March. This has been a way to review the previous year and set priorities for the year ahead. For 2025 we will be postponing these to May/June 2025 as a one-off. Before this time we will share more information about what the process will be. These reviews sit alongside our regular rhythms of one to ones. If priorities that were set within last years review need to be adjusted or reworked due to the change in timescale or different job focus, please do this within your regular one to ones.
Leave at Christmas
We talk about the amended leave allowances in Staff Matters but there are a couple of other things for you as Line Managers to think about around Christmas and leave.
Firstly, please remind those you line manage that they need to book off the leave themselves - it doesn't happen automatically and once you have reminded them, please check that this has been done. This is the same for any bank holidays that they may want to be off.
Also, a reminder that as you start to plan festive activities within your team, Christmas can be a time of joy and celebration for many, however for some, for lots of reasons, it can also be a very difficult time.
Helen Pryor-Andrews (Senior FSM, Central West) has shared some reflections below that may be helpful as you lead your teams:
"Over the past couple of years, there have been some conversations going on informally about Christmas and some of the different experiences we may have as a diverse staff group. As a result of this, we felt that it would be helpful to increase line manager sensitivity to how individual staff members might feel about this season and to empower both line managers and teams to support each other well. One aspect of this has been the change in how Christmas annual leave can be taken and the consideration being made for those staff who find the extended closure quite tricky. Here are just a few things to consider as we approach this season, although this list is not exhaustive.
- Consider raising the subject of Christmas in 1 to 1s, but with a “light touch”. If there are concerns raised, this could then feed into any team plans sensitively and without any individual feeling any pressure to make their feelings more widely known.
- Give team members the option to opt out of Christmas meals, Secret Santa etc. There could be a variety of reasons why someone might feel pressure to take part and why they might find this difficult, not least the financial impact this can have.
- Be sensitive around any known family situations, e.g. single parents who might not have their children with them at Christmas, team members who have experienced bereavement or who have caring responsibilities. Job roles can make Christmas more difficult when family members might be working on throughout that time.
- Be trauma informed. Christmas can be a time of high anxiety, isolation and pressure. It can exacerbate past trauma, so be aware of some of the issues around food, incessant music and lights, the pressure to engage in activities and “fun”.
- Be aware of language. It’s very easy to sound dismissive of someone who doesn’t want to celebrate or hasn’t put up any decorations, especially when some individuals are excited for the festive season.
- Accept that some families choose not to celebrate Christmas and will mark the season in a different way.
- Finally, be aware of those staff who might be quite isolated during the Christmas shutdown at work and offer them appropriate support, e.g. being able to work one of the days if possible.
All this said, it’s also really important to recognise the significance of the Christmas season in our Church calendar, that it can be a joyous time and an opportunity to hold compassion and love each other well. We need to allow opportunity for celebration and connection, whilst also making space for those for whom this season feels more complicated."
Other Types of Leave
There are some other types of leave available to staff. Please make yourself familiar with this article to know how to book those off for those you manage.
We hope that this is helpful, please do get in touch if you need any further support or advice.
People and Culture Team