Childlessness can have a profound impact on people, including their working lives, yet the experiences of those without children are often overlooked, misunderstood or minimised, both in the workplace and in general conversations about grief.
In this session, Judi Johnson and Dr Katy Schnitzler will explore what it can mean to experience childlessness in the workplace. Drawing on lived experience, research and real life examples, they will discuss the hidden ways that grief can show up at work, and the workplace experiences that can compound it.
Judi Johnson will explore what grief can look and feel like at work, including how childlessness grief can affect mental capacity, concentration, decisions and safety, why grief does not require a death to be real, the experiences of male partners as ‘silent grievers’, and why struggling at work does not mean you are failing.
Dr Katy Schnitzler will explore workplace triggers and ‘parental privilege’, including everyday workplace experiences that can exacerbate childlessness grief, how pronatal assumptions and practices can leave people feeling excluded or disadvantaged, and why these experiences can be so difficult to articulate or have recognised.
Together, Judi and Katy will offer validation, insight and practical ways to understand and navigate these experiences. Followed by Q&A.
DATE: Friday 18th September
TIME: 9.00am BST - Find your timezone HERE
REGISTER FOR THIS WEBINAR HERE
Please note: Whilst the panellists will be recorded, your camera and audio will be turned off. If you are unable to attend the webinar live, you DO NOT need to register to watch the replay. Just subscribe to the World Childless Week YouTube channel and you’ll be notified when new recordings are added.
PANELLISTS
Judi Johnson - New Zealand
Judi is a grief specialist, working 1:1 with people who are childless not by choice (CNBC), as well as a workplace grief educator and crisis responder. Drawing on professional expertise and lived experience, Judi brings a compassionate and practical perspective to the often overlooked realities of grief and loss.
Through her 1:1 work, Judi supports CNBC clients as they navigate the complex and often disenfranchised grief of a life they never expected to live. Her workplace work explores how grief can affect people while they are still expected to function, including its impact on concentration, decisions, emotional capacity, productivity and safety.
Judi is passionate about challenging the misconception that grief only follows bereavement and creating space for people to recognise and validate experiences that may otherwise be misunderstood or minimised.
Her approach is trauma-informed and grounded in the belief that it is possible to build a meaningful and fulfilling life without having to minimise, forget or accept the losses we have experienced.
Dr Katy Schnitzler - UK
Katy is the founder and lead training consultant of MIST Workshops Ltd. MIST provide bespoke training, policy writing and support for organisations on the topics of pregnancy loss, infertility, childlessness and menstrual health. MIST’s work is academically
-informed by Katy’s PhD research. Katy has worked with various organisations to improve practice in these prevalent and significant, yet often overlooked areas - including universities, charities, The NHS and global FTSE companies. Katy’s collaboration with employers has been instrumental in elevating practices and support for reproductive health issues, and childlessness, in the workplace. Katy is dedicated to shining light on these often overlooked issues, and implementing effective solutions that make a tangible difference in the lives of countless employees.
