Uniform Suppliers: On Maternity and Menopause

No matter the gender or stage in life, your employees’ comfort and safety should be your top priority as an employer and uniform supplier. Women are starting to make a major contribution to our workforce, with the  employment rate for women being 72% as on October 2022, closing in on the 79% recruitment rate for men.

And for the safety of all employees, your uniforms should be suitable to fit all types of bodies – including the changing bodies of your female colleagues, such as through menopause and maternity. Being able to fit their uniform, no matter their stage, can allow your female colleagues to continue work without the disruption and hazard of loose or ill-fitting clothing.  

Here at Jermyn Street Design, we offer a range of solutions on design and tailoring, fabric and technology, breadth of range, smart production, stockholding, sizing sets and much more – with the flexibility and expertise to make ranges inclusive and cater for all body shapes and sizes. Here we will explore how your uniforms should fit your female employees correctly.

Pregnant employees

Pregnancy can be an uncertain time, with finding clothing being only one of the considerations your employees will need to make. Your employees shouldn’t worry about the comfort or fitting of their uniforms. Pregnancy requires supportive clothing, including comfortable shoes and wide waistbands covering the stomach.

Ann Dowdeswell, Commercial Director at Jermyn Street Design, says: “Your employees should be comfortable and safe during work, and so the uniforms you supply need to be appropriate and practical for both the employee and their role.

Maternity clothing, for example, should be available to your employees if you enforce a uniform – whether this is for safety or image purposes. Partnering with uniform suppliers who know the benefits of custom uniforms for your employees can help you take all needs into consideration.”

And maternity clothing cannot simply be larger available sizes; instead, they have to be maternity-specific to maintain the safety of your employees. Simply handing a mother-to-be a larger uniform can present its own problems – it will be too large in some areas and not large enough in others, making it uncomfortable and, in some instances, presenting health and safety issues. Instead, maternity clothing needs to fit pregnancy bumps, be loose around the legs to prevent health issues and allow your employee to continue with their work as best as possible.

Transitioning through menopause

The symptoms of menopause can be sudden and without warning. And with the retirement age for women being around 64, it is no surprise that some of your employees will need to deal with their symptoms during working hours. Making sure your employees can be comfortable during this time is important.

Having appropriate uniforms for menopausal employees can benefit your business, maintaining employee retention. Some 10% of women who experience menopause symptoms at work have quit their jobs due to this.

Another reason to ensure you have sufficient uniform supplies is that you could face legal action if you don’t carry menopause-efficient uniforms. You could be punished under the Equality Act if you enforce close-fitting clothing or non-breathable fabrics. Uncomfortable clothing could worsen your employees’ symptoms, making it difficult to work.

Menopause symptoms can be distracting and uncomfortable, and 6 out of 10 women have had their symptoms affect their work negatively. With symptoms including anxiety and depression, poor concentration, and hot flushes, employers must produce an environment conducive to all.

Your employees should be comfortable in order to perform to their best abilities. In fact, happy employees are 12% more productive, so ensuring their comfort can be beneficial for your business’ output. Your uniforms should be as diverse as your workforce and allow each employee to feel at ease within the workplace – no matter their age, gender, or ability. Here at Jermyn Street Design, we believe in providing this for our clients. To find out more about our ranges, contact us today.

Sources:

https://www.statista.com/statistics/280120/employment-rate-in-the-uk-by-gender/#:~:text=In%20the%20three%20months%20to,females%20it%20was%2072.2%20percent.

https://www.unbiased.co.uk/discover/pensions-retirement/planning-for-retirement/when-can-i-retire-calculate-your-best-retirement-age#:~:text=What%20is%20the%20average%20retirement,67.2%20and%2063.9%20in%201950.

https://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/article/1754967/one-10-women-quit-job-menopause-symptoms-survey-reveals#:~:text=newsletter%20sign%2Dup-,One%20in%2010%20women%20have%20quit%20their,of%20menopause%20symptoms%2C%20survey%20reveals&text=One%20in%2010%20women%20have%20left%20work%20because%20of,the%20menopause%2C%20research%20has%20revealed.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11248797/Companies-face-legal-action-work-uniforms-not-menopause-friendly.html

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-11457815/Menopausal-women-offered-cooler-uniforms-fans-work-NHS-boss-says.html

https://warwick.ac.uk/newsandevents/pressreleases/new_study_shows/#:~:text=Happiness%20makes%20people%20more%20productive,people%20around%2012%25%20more%20productive.