Avanti trains tonedeaf menopause insult

[Jeannne92]

Who thought this was OK?!

I'd be submitting a formal grievance for discriminatory/bullying behaviour on the basis of having two Protected Characteristics if somebody tried giving me that sort of shit.

They're joking (only banter, innit? Can't you take a joke?) about all women reaching a particular age as being emotionally unstable/histrionic/aggressive & mentally inadequate as their ovaries begin to reduce hormone production. Might even chuck in a third by way of the penny/luck being insulting to anybody with faith/lack of faith that doesn't accept fucking magical talismans.

So condescending and insulting when I think of all the things I am as a menopausal woman … strong, calm, adventurous, healthy, fit, capable, caring, flexible, anchoring, motivated, sometimes tried, juggling commitments.

Infantilising bollocks is what it is

OMG calm the fuck down.
Am i the only one who thought this was quite nice?
not everything is meant to be analysed like in GCSE English.

Patronising gubbins and landfill tat to boot.

Assuming it's part of a package of support for women going through menopause I wouldn't be massively offended, it's just a bit twee & crap.

But if that's it - no support line number on the back of the twee tag, no guidance on where to go for advice, no info about additional leave or reasonable adjustments... Then I'd feel pissed off at the condescending nature of 'a cuppa & a tea light will sort out the mild inconvenience of menopause'.

Perhaps men could get a "getting older" gift pack too with Viagra, incontinence pads and some Just For Men.

Or not because we don't treat men getting older in this way.

I'd honestly take the days of talking about "the Change" in hushed tones over this cringey 💩

Patronising shite. How on earth did they decide which employees would be the lucky recipients of this, because I’d love to hear how they managed that without a fuckton of assumptions.

Yes, this.

Can you imagine. Some Grecian 2000 for your hair to make you feel more attractive, a little notepad so you can write down all the things you forget, and some brochures for hearing aids.

this comment sums it up

I'm fed up with virtue signalling train companies having to 'tackle" social issues. Just run the trains on time, lower our fares and be quiet

I don’t know that it’s so bad if you read that Daily Mail article. It’s twee to me, but I went through menopause with few issues and never had need of support. The Daily Mail article says this was developed by their Menopause support group prompted by one of the members.

If you’re going through menopause and access a support group of women all also going through it, and out of fellowship they hand out a gift like this to welcome you, I could see how that could be nice.

I recently got something similar when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. A former patient had made them up and left them to be handed out to newly diagnosed women. It was full of twee things that, personally, I don’t particularly like, including a painted rock, a smelly candle and some herbal tea. I kept the lip balm and binned the rest. But it was a really kind thought and a sign of fellowship that I did appreciate. And I suspect quite a lot of women would find more use for some of the items.

If this gift was developed in that fashion and given out by the support group but paid for by funds Avanti have set aside for menopause support, that I think could be good.

If it was suggested by one woman and a anti HR took the idea, ran with it and handed them out to all the women of a certain age, that would be patronizing as hell and make me seethe. a part from anything else, it pushes the idea that women over 40 are going to be less effective. Just after we’ve got over the “but they might leave and have babies” excuse not to hire/promote we get hit with “but they’ll be a raging ball of hormones and always taking time off” excuse.

Has the apprentice finished filming? It's the kind of thing they would come up with.

Context. https://newsdesk.avantiwestcoast.co.uk/news/avanti-west-coast-supports-colleagues-affected-by-menopause-with-drop-in-session

You ungrateful wimms! A big company gives you a free gift to pretend that they aren't misogynist arses for publicity purposes brighten your sad menopausal day and you're getting sniffy! Although personally I'd like it better if they swapped the jelly baby for their highest earning male executive and I'd bite his head off! (Metaphorically of course)

Maaaaaaaate

I didn’t need to analyse anything because it immediately struck me as infantilising, trivialising, insulting gimmicky crap!

I am also wondering how on earth they selected the recipients for this and think that is probably the most insensitive part of the whole thing. I really don’t want my employer to be making assumptions about me based on age and sex. What I would like is to know that if I am experiencing problems I can speak to someone about it and be supported.

FFS. Women who are CEOs, Prime Ministers, Consultant Surgeons, Senior Judges, Ambassadors et.etc. tend to be of menopausal age. This "gift" implies that as soon as one reaches middle age one loses one's marbles and becomes an emotional, sweating wreck. The trouble with all the menopause "awareness" is that it actually creates an unhelpful expectation that this will. be what happens.

Dare I ask is it actually real?

I cant get into the mail due to ad blocker

If it is and its been delevoped by this menopause support group, tht is the problem with staff support groups, they're full of people who arent like the rest f the staff, who think things like this are a good idea while everyone else is just getting on with their job

Yes, very twee! Like the suggestion we should offer older men something equally twee and stereotyping!

It’s cringe-making, patronising and tone-deaf but I suppose you could just conceivably argue that the accompanying article about it does at least say:

'Talking about menopause openly and trying to support other women has helped me. I think so many of us need that help and support without realising it. Women need to know they’re not alone”, explained Hellen.'

Assuming that when Hellen says 'women', she means, you know, WOMEN, and not 'people'……

The text was amusing but not remotely appropriate for a national organisation. Their culture needs a bit of a shake up or at the least their marketing department.

I'd like a few moments with whoever thought this up. To misquote Blackadder:
...."believe me, Satan and all his hellish implements of torture will be nothing compared to 10 minutes with me and this pencil (which you so kindly supplied)."

Bet it's not even a full sized pencil, just one of those stubby ones you used to get in Argos......

It’s given as part of a programme of drop in events, that people appear to choose to go to. The events are part of wider menopause guidance and support developed by the company. God knows, like anyone who has to use their trains, I’m no fan of Avanti (and I’d find the gift a bit twee tbh) but the confected outrage at this seems a bit overblown
Once more…
https://newsdesk.avantiwestcoast.co.uk/news/avanti-west-coast-supports-colleagues-affected-by-menopause-with-drop-in-session

I hate twee things like this. But on reading the link...

An Avanti West Coast spokesperson said: 'This is a gift bag designed and created by our own in-house Menopause Support Group and derived from a suggestion from a colleague based on her own personal experience. It is part of a much wider and well-used package of support provided by Avanti West Coast as part of our commitment to be a proud Menopause Friendly Employer.

'Over the course of the last year, Avanti West Coast has undertaken a wide range of menopause support initiatives including launching guidance for colleagues and managers, creating a support group on internal channels – which is a safe space for women to chat and seek support around menopause and perimenopause as well as setting up specialist library, giving staff free access to books on the subject.'

So it's not just a giveaway with nothing behind it, and no the idea didn't come from a man.

It’s given as part of a programme of drop in events, that people appear to choose to go to. The events are part of wider menopause guidance and support developed by the company

Yep, I'm glad I read both links. This has clearly been blown out of proportion. It's a little giveaway for attendees at an event. Nothing more. It's absolutely not to my taste, but Avanti is being unfairly slated here. They're clearly addressing menopause issues properly, which is not then most employers are. So trying to take them down over a little freebie is unfair.