Humans at Work: Menstrual Health

How to support team members with menstrual issues

Half the planet menstruates for a significant proportion of their lives.

However, as anyone who has felt the need to subtly shove a tampon up their sleeve on the way to the work bathroom well knows, talking openly about periods at work is still taboo.

In this blog, we’ll be busting some myths and shaking off the shame around cycles with some tangible tips for managers to help open up the conversation around menstrual health within the workplace.

But first - check out the video below to hear Olivia speaking candidly about her experience dealing with Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) at work.

Why it matters...

Why it matters:

CIPD research found that more than two thirds of women in the UK have had bad experiences at work because of their periods
The same study revealed that 49% of women who took leave because of their menstrual cycle said they’d never tell their manager the real reason.

Nick Dean, Co-Founder at HeyFlow sums it up like this - "the impact of menstruation on employees is misunderstood due to discomfort around broaching the topic with managers. HeyFlow data tells us that only 4% of menstruators are comfortable talking to their managers openly about their cycle, whilst close to 80% of menstruators have experienced heavy or painful periods that have affected their work.”

Menstrual issues explained

Monthly symptoms for menstruators can range from being awkward and inconvenient to intensely debilitating.

Whilst most people who menstruate experience some sort of physical and hormonal changes before and during periods - there are a range of conditions that come with additional challenges.

Endometriosis (commonly referred to as Endo) is a condition that occurs when tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows outside of it. For a lot of people, it causes severe pelvic pain, difficult periods and fertility issues.

Adenomyosis similar to Endo, this condition occurs when tissue that normally lines the uterus is displaced. It can cause heavy bleeding and severe abdominal and pelvic pain.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) impacts how women’s ovaries work. It causes irregular periods, fertility issues, excessive hair growth, acne and many other symptoms.

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder, which Olivia mentions in her video, is a serious form of PMT (premenstrual tension) which impacts 1 in 20 women. It causes severe psychological symptoms, with half of PMDD sufferers experiencing suicidal ideation.

Fibroids are noncancerous growths around the womb that cause a range of gastrointestinal issues, pain and heavy periods.

Busting menstrual myths

Myth 1: It’s ‘just a period’

For some, period pain can impact menstruators ability to participate in day to day activities - especially for those with menstrual issues. The recent Wellbeing of Women video campaign, which highlighted a broad array of experiences, shows how debilitating symptoms can be when untreated.

Myth 2: It’s easy to access treatment for menstrual issues

Unfortunately, this is not the case. Due to both lack of menstrual health education and systemic medical bias, a lot of menstrual health conditions are under researched and underdiagnosed.

For example, although the WHO estimates that Endometriosis impacts roughly 10% of women globally, there is no cure and on average, in the UK it takes 8 years from symptom onset to get a diagnosis.

Myth 3: menstrual issues are ‘women’s issues’

Whilst the majority of people who menstruate are women, it’s important to recognise that many intersex, trans and non-binary people also have periods. In this article, we’ve taken the lead of organisations like HeyFlow, which advise using the term ‘menstruators’ or ‘people who menstruate’ - which is both more accurate and more inclusive.

Supporting team members going through menstrual issues

Now that we’ve explored some of the more enduring menstrual health myths, it’s time to look at some of the ways you can support your team members who menstruate.

As Samantha Garstin, a Menstrual Education Coach says “we need to change the conversation around being in a body that bleeds. Managers play a crucial role in creating a supportive environment for team members who menstruate - and this starts with leading with empathy rather than embarrassment.”

Do’s and don’ts

Do:

Provide access to sanitary products in the workplace - one of the simplest ways to support your menstruating employees is to provide period products at work. After all, you wouldn’t expect your team members to bring in their own soap and loo roll - and period products are, just like these - a necessary hygiene product. Knowing that tampons and pads are available also helps reduce the stress of being caught short at work.
Anchor your approach with a policy - as Samantha points out “a top-down approach to opening up the conversation is vital, as individuals often struggle to ask for support if they’re unsure how the culture will respond.” HeyFlow have created a great free policy guide here.
Offer flexible working or discretionary leave - creating a period-friendly workplace means trusting your team members to know what they need. Offering flexible working or specific menstrual leave empowers team members to work when they feel up to it and take rest when they don’t, rather than forcing them to push through or take a sick day. Check out this webinar hosted by Flexa for some great ideas around implementing flexible work practices.
Educate your team - menstrual health education in the UK is seriously lacking. Luckily, a host of professionals and organisations - like Samantha, HeyFlow and Bloody Good Period offer sessions designed to share knowledge and open up the conversation around menstrual health.
Encourage people to seek medical advice - given lack of education and stigma, it can be daunting for menstruators to access medical help. As Olivia mentions, asking your team members whether they’ve sought support can encourage them to get the clarity they need about their symptoms and explore treatment options.

Here are some don’ts to bear in mind:

Don’t minimise menstruators pain - as we’ve discussed in this piece, the pain caused by periods varies, but it can be extremely intense, causing menstruators to vomit, lose sleep or pass out. It’s important to trust your team members to know what they need when they’re experiencing severe symptoms, rather than assuming a hot water bottle and paracetamol will cut it.
Don’t play into stereotypes about menstruators - despite the process being entirely natural, there remains a whole host of negative, highly gendered stereotypes around menstruation and menstruators. It should go without saying that jokes playing into these stereotypes are not appropriate in the workplace and should be addressed when they come up like any other microaggression.
Don’t ignore unusual sick leave patterns - be proactive in checking in with your team members if you notice them taking more time off than usual. As Nick says “lack of open communication often creates the need for the menstruator to cite symptoms, rather than the root cause, to create the right working conditions and accommodations.” Sensitively opening up a conversation about what you’ve observed can help you to agree on an approach that’s more sustainable for both the business and your team member - such as making use of flexible working or discretionary leave.

Bringing it all together

Olivia’s story shows us that how menstrual issues are dealt with can have a powerful effect on a team member’s experience of the workplace. Managers need to be able to hold space for these conversations with compassion, rather than dismissing menstruators' pain as ‘histrionics’. Taking some of the simple steps we’ve outlined above will make a huge difference to the menstruators on your team and their psychological safety, productivity and engagement.