Menstrual periods are still seen as a ‘problem’ in workplaces including laboratories, oil rigs and outdoor settings, where toilet facilities and uniform policies can be a concern.
This is according to researchers at Heriot-Watt University, who found that menstruation is still seen as a “cultural taboo” in many work environments, while neurodivergent people and those with long-term conditions or disabilities face additional barriers to managing their periods at work.
The study considered the experiences of women and people who menstruate in research and innovation roles, in workplaces ranging from offices to laboratories.
Managing periods at work
Four in 10 women ‘uncomfortable’ discussing health with their manager
One engineer working on oil rigs told researchers that she did not have access to running water in the toilet as male toilets were prioritised when there was water scarcity.
Other interviewees said the requirement to wear white uniforms in labs made it stressful for researchers who experience heavy bleeding, who feared their menstrual blood may leak through their clothes.
One interviewee said: “If I’m wearing light blue scrubs, that’s it… game over, you know. Everyone can see what’s going on. And it’s embarrassing, it makes you paranoid… then distracts you from your actual work.”
The lack of accommodations in such workplaces had led to some people with problematic menstruation or menopause symptoms to leave their careers.
Some neurodivergent respondents reported that therapies used to alleviate menopause symptoms, such as hormone replacement therapies, clashed with other medications that treat depression, anxiety and mental health conditions. Others referred to a lack of support from clinicians and GPs, resulting in delayed diagnoses making it challenging to obtain appropriate accommodations in the workplace.
Cultural ‘taboos’ were also an issue. An ecologist working in West Africa told researchers that men in the community would ask her male colleagues if she was menstruating.
The report specifically focuses on women working as researchers, but has implications for all genders, workplaces and career stages, the researchers said.
Kate Sang, professor of gender and employment studies at Heriot-Watt University’s Edinburgh Business School, said said: “Research and workplace policies on menstrual health, including periods, menopause and perimenopause, has been growing in recent years. But it is still an under-researched area, and the topic is still poorly understood in the context of the workplace.
“Workers in remote and non-office locations are particularly likely to face challenges managing their symptoms because of poor facilities and understanding.”
The study makes several recommendations for employers:
- Educate and empower line managers to improve their understanding of reproductive health
- Emphasise the need to remove barriers rather than the need for employees experiencing menstrual symptoms to adjust
- Collate accurate data around promotion, absence data and employment outcomes
- Introduce organisation-wide menstrual health education programmes and toolkits
- Develop menstrual health policies
- Introduce clearly-defined policies about where to access support
- Encourage conversations around menstruation and menopause
- Bring up menstrual health in performance appraisals
- Ensure hygiene products are available in all toilet spaces
- Audit personal protective equipment to ensure fabrics, sizes, structures and colour are suitable. For example, swap white uniforms for darker colours if white is not a health and safety requirement.
Chiara Cocco, a research associate in Heriot-Watt University’s School of Social Sciences, said: “Typically the kind of lab coats and overalls worn by researchers in lab or outdoor settings are white and provided in generic sizes. So it can be tricky to find something that fits you.
“It’s also often up to the researchers and scientists to wash their own laundry – and spares are sometimes hard to find. This can make managing periods at work really difficult – especially if you’re working remotely in an area that might be some distance from the nearest toilet facilities.
“I hope that by revealing the voices of those who are often silenced at work, we can really create some positive impact to make their working lives better.”
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