For many, there’s still an unspoken undercurrent of secrecy and stigma in the workplace around menstruation as a 2019 survey revealed 32 per cent of male staff deemed period chat at work ‘inappropriate’.
, it has also given women who suffer from debilitating periods the opportunity to reassess their work/menstruation balance.Kate explains that after leaving her law career, she founded the Safeguarding Association, training local authorities around the country.
‘There will be a time when I need to go into an organisation, which would be fine if I could be certain when my period would happen, but it’s not so regular that I can do this,’ she says. Schemes such as Bloody Good Employers aim to help those in charge contribute to the discussion around periods and elevating workplace menstrual support to employees.
The last 15 months have seen many of us succesfully work flexibly from home, so we should give people that support back and the trust they deserve. Talking about how her periods affect her, Sam, explains, ‘I would say the first three days of my cycle is quite extreme pain and a very heavy flow as well. I often had to call in sick.’‘One did try and discuss me not being paid so I can just be at home and not work,’ she says. ‘I think he didn’t like me working from home and some days not doing as much. He suggested we speak to HR, as we have a flexible working policy, so I wouldn’t get paid for two days of the month.
‘I knew I was fortunate to be able to work from home, but that didn’t stop me from feeling guilty. Now, I can work flexibly around my period and no one has to know. Some days I just need to lie down for a couple of hours with a hot water bottle, knowing I will catch up on the work later. As someone who works in a predominantly female office, Hattie says it helps that she can be quite uninhibited.
Hattie says her cycle leaves her with really bad stomach pains and nausea. She often uses a hot water bottle to try and alleviate the pain.Freelance fashion stylist Amy Charuy-Hughes can still recollect one of her worst periods at work. ‘You are booked to do a job and they are still a client, so no matter how nice they are you can’t help but feel you’re jeopardising your chances of working with them again if you make a big deal of not feeling well,’ she says.
‘I have to have one with me at all times,’ she says. ‘My periods are quite heavy as well, so I do find that I’m having to go to the loo a lot to change. But knowing that my colleagues don’t take any notice or judge me for it, makes a huge difference to my working day.’