Hot flush simulation vest heats up menopause conversation

Thursday 11 May 2023

Staff at a local bank have had the chance to put themselves in someone else’s shoes by trying out an innovative vest that simulates a menopausal hot flush.

The innovative sessions have led to the menopause becoming a ‘hot topic’ in HSBC's Jersey office and prompted "genuine conversations" about how colleagues can support one another, according to the bank.

Tina Blackhouse, General Manager of women's health pharmaceutical company Theramex, visited the island to lead the series of workshops designed to encourage conversations about how the symptoms of menopause can impact people in the workplace and how colleagues can best support each other.

She is also one of the funding partners of the MenoVest, which simulates menopausal hot flushes. It allowed staff to experience what the menopause feels like.

Following her visit, Tina said: "It was inspiring to see how the menopause story has been cascaded and how keen staff were to talk safely and openly about their own experiences and how they can better support their colleagues and customers."

Elvina Aghajanyan, Head of HR at HSBC Channel Islands and Isle of Man, added: "We were delighted that Tina was able to hold a number of sessions with colleagues, who were clearly very keen to try out the vest and have genuine conversations about how they can support colleagues who are experiencing menopause symptoms."

Pictured: "These workshops build on our commitment... to create a supportive environment," HSBC's Head of HR said.

She added: "These workshops build on our commitment last year to create a supportive environment where menopause can be openly discussed so that we can fully support the wellbeing of all our people."

HSBC Channel Islands and Isle of Man signed up to the 51 Employers Pledge in 2022 as part of its commitment to supporting the wellbeing of staff who are going through the menopause.

The Pledge represents a commitment to implementing a number of measures in the workplace to ensure that people going through the menopause feel supported, understood and included.

Pictured top: Tina with Cameron Senior, Interim Head of Wealth and Personal Banking at HSBC Channel Islands and IoM, trying out the MenoVest.