'I had my dreams of joining the police crushed over single unjustifiable reason'
A young woman who aspired to become a police officer was left devastated after she was rejected from a force because she suffers from heavy periods.
The woman, who has been renamed Charlotte*, said she had dreamed of joining Greater Manchester Police since she was a child but received the "crushing" decision despite being ruled fit to work.
The 22-year-old said the force told her it would be "extremely difficult" to make adjustments for her condition, which they said would "undoubtedly" impact her fitness. Charlotte has called this decision "unjustifiable", feeling that she has been a victim of gender discrimination.
She spent her childhood evenings with the police cadets and dedicated three years to studying public services in college before applying to the force's Police constable degree apprenticeship in November 2022. Speaking about the rejection, she said: "It's absolutely ridiculous. They literally said that I need to defer my application because they've not been able to find any reasonable adjustments, which really realistically is just me put an extra pad on - is it that big of a deal?"
The woman has wanted to be a police officer since her childhood (Manchester Evening News)GMP stated they adhere to Home Office National Police Recruitment Standards for all recruits, and added they have written to Charlotte to explain how she can seek a review of the decision. However, the College for Policing told the publication that while the Home Office provides guidelines for clinicians assessing recruits, decisions around medical fitness are managed by individual forces, reports Manchester Evening News. Charlotte was asked to provide the force with doctor's reports from both her GP and gynaecologist - both of whom deemed her fit to work. In a letter, her GP said there was a 'relatively low' chance she had an underlying bleeding disorder, and that there was 'no contraindication from a haematological perspective' for her joining the police.
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"I did all of my fitness tests, I did all of the interviews, passed them without any problems, and then I wrote down on the medical form that I have heavy periods, and they've made the biggest deal out of it," she explained. In a chat with the force doctor, who she claims she only ever spoke to once on the phone, Charlotte explained how she has suffered with heavy periods since she was 12 years old, and has learned to manage the condition.
Charlotte's application was sent to GMP's Equality and Assessment Panel after the force doctor expressed concerns about her fitness. However, in October, she received a letter from the panel, seen by the publication, stating that her application would be deferred for 12 months after she emailed them disagreeing with the force doctor's statement and requested a review. It read: "Following a discussion at the Equality and Assessment Panel, the Panel's decision is to defer your application for 12 months. You are undergoing treatment for a gynaecological condition, and you need to demonstrate improvement, and also a period of stability, such that the risk of relapse can be assessed." The letter also stated: "Occupational Health will review your application in 12 months and will require a report from your gynaecologist stating your improvement and stability on treatment."
Charlotte plans to get the contraceptive coil fitted, which doctors consider a 'curative treatment' for heavy periods. However, she claims this was overlooked in the doctor's statement. She expressed her frustration, saying: "It has taken nearly a year for them to make this decision - it's absolutely ridiculous. My periods can be painful, they are heavy, but it's not an issue. I just deal with it. I feel they [GMP] have been really unreasonable and unprofessional throughout this process. I passed my fitness test while I was on my period. It just feels like they're deferring my entry literally because I have to wear more pads than the average person."
Sarah Calderwood, a partner at Manchester-based firm Slater Heelis, said that there can be 'negative assumptions about the effect of a period on someone's ability to do their job,' and the number of employment tribunal claims relating to issues such as periods and menopause is 'rising very quickly'. She added that while there is currently no specific employment law dealing with periods, existing discrimination laws do provide some protection. Charlotte said she now has no interest in joining the police, adding that she feels she "wasted some of the most important years" of her life on preparing to become a police officer. "It's crushing," she said. "I feel like I'm being told I can't do a job I've always wanted to do because I'm a woman, essentially."
The 22-year-old said she now wants to make sure the same thing doesn't happen to any future applicants, and hopes sharing her experience will raise awareness of the issue. A spokesperson for GMP said: "GMP follows Home Office National Police Recruitment Standards for all police entry routes and decisions are made in line with the national medical standards." Our Force Medical Officer has written to Charlotte to outline how to seek a review of this decision in the future. We encourage Charlotte to contact us if she requires any further information about her application."
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to [email protected]
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