An often overlooked (and even dismissed as a non-concern) issue raised in the workplace has prompted me to contact yourselves with a request to Driver CPC providers to develop a module related to the ‘wellbeing, health and fitness’ aspect of commercial drivers and driving.
The area that I feel needs further advice, guidance and increased awareness are the issues faced by female drivers of all ages.
I am yet to see any courses that address topics such as the menopause and its negative effects on drivers; not just in how it directly affects women, but also the low levels of understanding, appreciation and accommodation by men and management with regards to the impact of wellbeing that many female drivers face in their daily lives and work.
I feel this has never been a high-profile issue for management, which has predominantly been composed of men. Things are improving, but there’s a need for a multi-directional approach to education.
A historic lack of interest could stem from the fact men feel these issues typically don’t affect them. But it does affect them by stealth. Men are often facilitators of knowledge and information. Lack of attention to these issues creates an unconscious bias. Even the woeful lack of toilet facilities nationally at places like coach parks is a problem rarely faced by male drivers.
Parallel to this there are other areas that require further questions to be asked of the arguably not fit for purpose nature of the D4 medical. A perfect example is when my wife undertook her most recent medical. The D4 form does not ask any questions such as ‘have you had any episodes of brain fog?’, a key concern of concentration and therefore safety.
The doctor was utterly dismissive and was not remotely interested in anything menopause related, simply because it was not listed on the form. I believe the medical needs to be updated to reflect the wider societal engagement of all things health and wellbeing for all employees and employers.
I would like to lay a challenge and business opportunity to any Driver CPC course providers to develop a module focusing on the specific issues faced by females in the workplace and to the employers to look at ways to support all the workforce to create a more compassionate environment. Driver CPC providers are ideally placed to spread the word. There’s even a business opportunity here that might encourage them to do the right thing.
From a training aspect, any course should cover:
- Issues facing female drivers in the workplace and explanation of their range, and in particular the menopause
- Knowledge and understanding given to male counterparts
- Benefits to the business owner relating to staff care and retention.
There is a vast resource pool out there of women who may be available for part- and full-time work. Often, women show greater aptitude for the customer service side and dealing with the public. From a company point of view, that means happy passengers and return customers. If women’s issues are highlighted and respected more, the likelihood of everyone staying in the industry is higher. Who would want to work for a company that doesn’t respect the needs of all its employees?
There has been some positive news where Mariella Frostrup has been made the government’s new Menopause Employment Ambassador. This neatly enhances the ideal for Driver CPC providers to pick up the baton and get a worthwhile course put together.
I’m no expert, and I’m sure there is much to add to what needs to be highlighted and addressed for the absolute fairness of all our undervalued women in the workplace.
Damon Crute
DC Coaches, Stoke Heath, Shropshire
