Events

Women's health at work: Policy, progress and public perception

Society of Occupational Medicine and Royal Society of Medicine joint meeting

Venue: Royal Society of Medicine, 1 Wimpole Street, Marylebone, London, W1G 0AE

This conference provides an essential update for occupational health (OH) professionals on women’s health and rights in the workplace, set against the changing legal landscape and the government's preparative work on the Employment Rights Bill. It will examine conditions such as menopause, endometriosis, and the emotional and physical demands of fertility treatment on women’s working lives. Delegates will gain a deeper understanding of how these issues can disadvantage women in the workplace due to women’s sex-specific health factors, and what good OH practice looks like in response.​

A key focus will be the government’s preparatory work for the Employment Rights Act and how this may require changes in OH approaches, policies, and advice. Sessions will provide practical insight into how to assess and support women experiencing these health challenges at work, how to advise employers on reasonable adjustments, and how to embed women’s health into organisational culture and strategy.​

Aims of the event
- To provide OH professionals and trainees with a structured understanding of current and emerging challenges in women’s health within workplace settings.
- To equip delegates with the knowledge needed to apply best practice, reasonable adjustments and evidence-based thinking to real-world OH scenarios.
- To support the development of critical reasoning skills through expert-led discussions, clinical perspectives and contributions from the Apothecaries Lecture and Medal presentations.

Why attend?
- Explore how OH professionals can be a driving force for change in raising public, organisational, and governmental awareness of women’s health needs in a modern, diverse workforce.
- Delegates will receive an up-to-date briefing on the potential implications of the Employment Rights Act for occupational health practice.
- Gain practical tools to improve case management, communication with employers and advocacy for fair and inclusive workplaces.​
- The programme also includes the prestigious Apothecaries Lecture and the presentation of the Apothecaries Medal, offering additional opportunities for reflection on professional standards, ethics and excellence in occupational health.
- With its combination of legal and policy update, clinical relevance, and professional development, this event is essential for anyone in occupational health committed to evidence-based, ethical and equitable support for women at work.

This event is aimed at: Occupational health physicians, nurses, advisers and trainees, as well as HR professionals and managers involved in workplace health, wellbeing or policy.

Please note, there is not a discounted rate for SOM members this year.

For further details and to book, visit the RSM website.

EXCITING NEW COURSE FROM THE AT WORK PARTNERSHIP

AI & Occupational Health

Thursday 14 & Friday 15 May 2026 – Two Virtual Mornings

Chaired by Dr Lara Shemtob, Imperial College London

The At Work Partnership is pleased to announce the launch of a new training course on the very hot topic of artificial intelligence! Join the Artificial Intelligence and Occupational Health course over 2 virtual mornings on 14 & 15 May 2026, to learn how to use AI safely and effectively in your OH work.

This training course starts with first principles to help you to understand what AI is, and its benefits and limitations in OH, emphasising the importance of remaining vigilant to potential risks and errors. It aims to give you the understanding to ask the right questions so that you can use AI in OH ethically, strategically and appropriately and understand its broader impact on OH practice.

Delegates will be led by a fantastic team with excellent knowledge, passion and interest in using AI in the workplace - course leader Dr Lara Shemtob (Imperial College London), Janet O'Neill (PAM Group), Grace Corby (Cloisters Chambers) and Dr John Ballard (Occupational Health [at Work]).

The course is designed for OH professionals and others working in an OH setting. Prior knowledge of AI is not necessary.

For further details on the programme and to view the course brochure, visit the website link below.

If you have any questions about the course, email conferences@atworkpartnership.co.uk

EARLY BIRD SPECIAL OFFERS AVAILABLE

Book and pay by 30 March and save up to £50 + VAT

Self-funded rates also available.

Click here to secure your place now.

Employment Medicals and Fitness for Work 2026

Tuesday 19 May, A Virtual Event

This important training examines why good practice in assessing fitness for work is a key aspect of OH, to safeguard the health and safety of employees and others affected by the work, and to ensure fair and non-discriminatory employment.

Conducted virtually via zoom, the course will look at best practice in the field of employment medicals, fitness for work, and the use of pre-employment/pre-placement questionnaires and health checks.

The course brings together a fantastic line-up of speakers, which include:

Dr John Ballard (Occupational Health [at Work]), Audrey Ludwig (trainer and consultant), Dr Tony Williams (Working Fit), Dr Samantha Phillips (Transport for London), Dr Amanda Edgeworth (DVLA) and Prof Diana Kloss (barrister).

Comments from previous delegates:

“Resourceful and educational, a must in OH learning!”
- OH nurse advisor, Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust

“Excellent course, great content, relevant and engaging speakers”
- OH physician, HSE Ireland

Benefits of attending:

- Ensure that your organisation is up to date with all of the latest legal and practical issues affecting health issues at recruitment and ongoing fitness to work.

- Gain an up-to-the-minute understanding of how the legislation and case law relating to employment medicals and fitness for work impacts on your responsibilities and your day-to-day work.

- Learn about the issues affecting fitness to drive and drug and alcohol testing

- Gain an understanding of best practice and evidence-based decisions

- PLUS – printed documentation to keep for future reference.

EARLY BIRD RATE OFFER: Book and pay by 27 March and save £60 + VAT!

Click here for full course details and to book online.

FREE for ALL 

While it is generally accepted that work improves mental health, people with serious mental illnesses face considerable challenges when returning to the workplace. This presentation will outline what has been learned from implementing Individualized Placement and Support (IPS) services throughout the state of Connecticut. While IPS services have a strong evidence base, here we consider factors beyond rapid placement in a competitive job that often affect the mental health of people with psychiatric disabilities returning to work: stigma and discrimination, navigating public benefits while working, the realities of low-wage work in a neoliberal economic system, and the fundamental meaning of work. We will explore how each of these factors may lead us to a different paradigm when it comes to the future of employment services for people with psychiatric disabilities. 

Dr. Megan Evans is an Associate Research Scientist in the Program for Recovery and Community Health at the Yale School of Medicine. Trained in public health, she studies the social determinants of mental health and substance use recovery and is especially interested in social, relational, and vocational recovery. She completed an employment-focused postdoctoral fellowship funded by the National Institute for Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research. Her current research focuses on developing a measurement approach to capture personally meaningful recovery and life goals of adults with serious mental illnesses, moving beyond traditional symptom and functioning measures to assess recovery in areas deemed as important by people with lived experience themselves. She also works with behavioral health agencies to better incorporate recovery-oriented services into their operations and serves as faculty for the Yale Lived Experience Transformational Leadership Academy (Yale LET(s)Lead).

Chair: Professor Neil Greenberg 

FREE for ALL. You will then be sent the joining link.