FIRE stations throughout south Shropshire are regularly on the lookout for retained fire fighters.

These can be men and women who are able to be on-call to respond to incidents.

But one of the issues that can put women off is the taboo of the menopause and the Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service has been working to address this.

The service was recently recommended as a model employer in terms of the mandatory training it has commissioned for its managers.

As a result, Assistant Chief Fire Officer David Myers was part of a discussion panel at the Houses of Parliament contributing to discussions around recommendations to Government.

“We’re delighted to have been nominated as a model employer and recognised for the work we are constantly doing to retain valuable and talented employees,” he said.

“This is just one project that’s part of a wider programme to support all of our workforce.

“We aim to create a place where everyone feels valued as well as driving positive change in the world of work.”

According to CIPD, the professional body for experts in people at work:

“For every 10 women experiencing menopausal symptoms, six say it has a negative impact on their work and nearly a third of women have taken sick leave because of their menopause symptoms, but only a quarter of them felt able to tell their manager.”

The CIPD is launching a series of recommendations to Government which will raise awareness, incite action and improve the working lives of women going through menopause transition.

Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service also supports the recommendations made by the CIPD and MPs Rachel MacLean and Carolyn Harris to raise menopause as a priority on its public policy agenda on work, diversity and inclusion.

For details on recruitment visit www.shropshirefire.gov.uk/careers