# UK Survey Explores Link Between Menstruation and Employee Support at Work

December 11, 2023

The [Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development](https://www.cipd.org/uk/) (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.](/content/advocate-at-your-workplace/index.html)

## **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](/content/blog/endometriosis-101/index.html), [PCOS](/content/blog/what-is-pcos/index.html) or [PMDD](/content/blog/what-to-know-about-pmdd/index.html).
- 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](/content/blog/spain-becomes-the-first-european-country-to-approve-paid-menstrual-leave/index.html) (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.

### 👀 Interested in learning more? [Read the full report here!](https://www.cipd.org/uk/knowledge/reports/menstruation-support-at-work/)