UK Survey Links Menstruation and Employee Support
UK Survey Explores Link Between Menstruation and Employee Support at Work
December 11, 2023
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) recently surveyed over 2,000 women in the UK, aged 18-60, who currently or have previously had their period while being employed.
The goal of this report? To understand the experiences of menstruating employees and how employers can foster a supportive environment in the workplace.
The Impact of Menstruation Symptoms
- 79% of respondents say they have experienced menstruation symptoms.
- 15% say they have a menstrual health condition such as endometriosis, PCOS or PMDD.
- Around 7 in 10 employees (69%) who have experienced symptoms from menstruation report that they have had a negative impact at work.
- More than half (53%) had been unable to go to work at some point because of their symptoms.
- 12% of respondents say their menstrual symptoms have had a negative impact on their career.
The Need for Support
CIPD’s survey findings indicate that most employees don’t feel that they are supported within their organization in relation to their period.
- Just over 1 in 10 (12%) of employees report that their organization provides support for menstruation and menstrual health, for example in the form of a policy, guidance or training.
- 1 in 5 didn’t know if support was available but two-thirds (67%) said there is none.
- The most common type of support is free period products (18%) followed by paid sick leave (15%) and paid time off for medical appointments (12%). Any other type of support is even less commonly available.
- People are much more likely to feel supported by colleagues than by their employer or manager (41% compared with 21% and 26%, respectively).
- Overall, 3% say they have left a job due to a lack of workplace support in relation to their menstrual symptoms, while 5% are considering leaving.