About Menstruation in the Workplace

Menstruation In the Workplace

Chapter 1

This chapter sets out why menstruation is a workplace issue at all. It begins with the scale of it: how many days and how many periods a woman experiences over a lifetime, and how much of that time overlaps with working life. It then places this in context, noting the share of women in the Asian workforce. The chapter explains premenstrual syndrome and its more severe form, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and closes with research showing how often employees with PMS say their symptoms have hurt their work, a figure that is higher still among those with a diagnosed menstrual condition.

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Chapter 2

The Impact of Menstruation In The Workplace

The everyday challenges women face when managing their periods at work are the subject of this chapter. It draws on research to show how severe PMS and menstrual symptoms affect working life, including a UK study on the stress and anxiety women report when handling their periods at work. It also highlights how few employees believe their employers are doing enough to help, and how many feel held back by a lack of support. The chapter ends by explaining the cost in lost productivity, making the point that presenteeism, working while unwell, contributes more to that loss than absenteeism.

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Chapter 3

Benefits of Supporting Women Who Menstruate

Why workplace support for menstrual health is worth the investment. The chapter explains how appropriate support builds trust between employees and employers, helps people feel included and reduces embarrassment. It then looks at how menstrual symptoms can influence career decisions, citing the share of working women who have considered leaving their jobs because of them. Readers see what employees say they want, such as greater support for women's health, flexible working, time off for healthcare appointments and menstrual leave. The chapter closes with the business case, including the cost of replacing an employee who leaves, which can reach up to twice their annual salary.

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Chapter 4

How to Support Menstruating Women in Workplaces

The closing chapter turns to practical steps employers can take. It starts with menstrual products, explaining why providing them free or at a discount helps, given how essential and costly they are. It then recommends workshops on menstrual health that cover common symptoms, empathy, coping strategies and available resources, and that include management and people of all genders. Flexibility for those with severe symptoms, such as adjusted hours or remote work, is another measure discussed. The chapter also stresses the value of open conversations that let people raise period health issues without fear of stigma, and ends by drawing these strands together for a more inclusive workplace.

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The Importance of Menstrual Cycle for A Woman

Menstruation lasts from around 4-8 days each cycle, and women menstruate for an average of 2,534 days, about 7 years during their lifetime.

During a woman’s lifetime, she menstruates around 500 times. Therefore, a woman who works from her 20s to her 50s would have gone through 360 menstrual cycles while working.

The Importance of Menstrual Cycle In the Workforce

Every month, more than two billion women around the world menstruate. A significant portion of these women also actively contribute to the workforce.

In fact, according to the World Bank, 32% of the Asian workforce is comprised of women, every one of whom experiences an average of 360 hormonal fluctuations, which, if not appropriately addressed, will affect their work performance.

Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)

Hormonal changes before your period can cause physical and physiological changes. This is known as premenstrual syndrome (PMS). A small number of women may experience more severe symptoms, called premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)

Research has found that 80% of women experience PMS. Some common symptoms of PMS include abdominal cramps (60%), feeling irritable (52%), fatigue (49%), and bloating (49%), but there is a broader range of symptoms associated with PMS that you may experience.

Effects of Symptoms on Women at Work

Around seven in 10 employees (69%) who have experienced PMS report that these symptoms have had a negative impact on their work.

This proportion rises to 81% if the employee has had a diagnosed menstrual condition.

About Menstruation in the Workplace: Menstruation In the Workplace

Menstruation In the Workplace

Read chapter 1 on one page: About Menstruation in the Workplace

The Importance of Menstrual Cycle for A Woman

The Importance of Menstrual Cycle In the Workforce

Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)

Effects of Symptoms on Women at Work