Gender

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Sex Equality Duty

Aberdeen City Council must ensure that employers eliminate discrimination and harassment in their employment practices and actively promote sex equality within the workforce. In order to meet this duty, work is undertaken in the following areas:

The ‘Gender Pay Gap’
Consultation and Data Collection
Having a range of policies and procedures to ensure employees and potential employees are treated fairly and equitably irrespective of sex
Promoting the Equalities message by a variety of means e.g. formal training, corporate induction, and a Diversity & Equalities Awareness Handbook for all employees

Employers must focus on achieving an organisation which:

has a fair and non-discriminatory pay system
has a representative workforce in all areas of work
increases the number of women applying for senior level posts
has a positive environment, free from prejudice and unlawful discrimination
has employment policies which promote equal access to all and ensures employees are aware of these, and
works towards eliminating violence against women and men

Gender Equality at ACC

Gender equality is not just about women – it aims to overcome barriers to equality of opportunity and challenge traditional perceptions of gender roles. At ACC:

We aim to quash false perceptions – Aberdeen City Council top management team have a balanced female to male split!
There is no negative pay gap within Aberdeen City Council pay and grading structure for female employees.
We focus on ensuring managers are trained in recruitment with a focus on equality of opportunity.
Each of the last 4 years we have recruited female apprentices into craft worker posts which have traditionally been considered as male dominated jobs.
For at least the last 25 years, the Council has employed male cleaners and male Pupil Support Assistants; again posts which are traditionally thought of as being female dominated roles.
We continue to encourage applications to non-traditional gender roles.

Aberdeen City Council has an Equal Pay Policy and which you can find more information, here.

What does this mean for you as a Manager?

This means that you have a responsibility to ensure that nobody is discriminated against because of their gender. You should be offering the same working and development opportunities to all staff. If you feel that there is a gender imbalance within your sector or Service, please contact People and Organisatoin and we will be able to support you in developing strategies to address this.

As a manager, you should also be aware of other guidance available to you to help you support your employees of all genders. This includes guidance on types of parental leave, guidance on supporting transgender and transitioning employees, and also guidance on supporting employees who are suffering with symptoms of the menopause.

Menopause

Women whose lives are being affected by the symptoms menopause should not feel they have to suffer in silence, says NICE.

In its first guidance on menopause, NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) recommends that help and information is available for women with menopause and that a range of treatment options such as HRT can help.

Menopause is a gradual process that occurs on average for women in the UK at 51. An estimated 1.5 million women – around 80% of those going through menopause – experience common symptoms such as hot flushes and night sweats. Other symptoms include mood changes, joint and muscle pain and headaches.

Together these symptoms can severely affect a woman’s life. Yet the effects of menopause are often not fully understood. As a result, women do not always get the help they need from their GP, nurse, practice or hospital specialist to manage their symptoms effectively.

NICE aims to address this by providing recommendations on the support, information and treatments available for menopausal symptoms. The guideline covers diagnosis, the drug and non-drug treatments that can help with symptoms, and offers clarity on the risks and benefits of HRT.