Women's Health in the Workplace: Beyond the Basics

For too long, women’s health has lived in the shadows of workplace conversation, a topic tiptoed around, awkwardly avoided, or simply not acknowledged at all. In recent years, the surge in menopause awareness has helped chip away at the stigma, and it’s been encouraging to see campaigns, training, and policies addressing this natural life stage. But while that progress is important, we still have a long road ahead. Supporting women’s health in the workplace shouldn’t start at menopause. We need to create environments where women feel empowered to talk about their health, if they want to, from the moment they step into the workforce.

Yes, some organisations now place sanitary products in toilets, and that’s a welcome start. But is that where we stop? Are the products actually what women need? Have workplaces asked their teams what they want to see in those baskets? Would someone with endometriosis roll their eyes at a token ultra-thin pad, knowing that it wouldn’t last them five minutes? Let's be real. The era of women hiding pads up their sleeves, folding emergency toilet paper origami, or hearing "it's just your period, you must be fine" isn't over yet. And let’s not even get started on those who’ve mastered the art of speed-waddling to the bathroom with a blood clot the size of a five-pence piece making an unscheduled exit. Whether it’s menopause or menstruation, pain is still dismissed, symptoms misunderstood, and empathy is lacking—regardless of the manager’s gender. We simply haven’t normalised these conversations in the way we need to.

I was diagnosed with PCOS in my mid-twenties. Before that, I knew something wasn’t right. I’d go months without a period, only to be hit with weeks of heavy, unpredictable bleeding and debilitating pain. And that was just the start. One of the hardest things was the hair. I started growing facial hair—thick enough that I felt compelled to shave. It was mortifying. I would pull my tops over my face or sit at an angle in meetings so no one could see my chin. I felt unfeminine, ashamed, and incredibly alone. I’ve since built a long-term relationship with a lovely laser technician, and while that has helped, the anxiety never fully goes away.

I’ve been lucky with line managers who’ve supported me, but even so, the wider workplace culture has often left me feeling unable to share. I’ve tried. I’ve said things like, "this is one of those days where my period is completely wiping me out,” only to be met with, "TMI," or a polite but firm, "You don't need to share." But the truth is, I do. I want to. People need to know what it feels like to bleed heavily for 14 days straight, to be in so much pain you can’t focus or to be caught off guard with a rogue clot. These are real, human experiences, and we shouldn’t have to suffer them in silence.

How do we make it safer and easier for women to speak openly about their health, without fear of embarrassment or judgement? First, we listen. Ask your workforce what they want and need. Put out anonymous surveys. Create space for people to make suggestions. Run focus groups.

Second, help your managers have real, human conversations. This doesn’t mean they need to be health experts it means they need to show up as decent humans. Real conversations start by not imposing their own experiences or judgments. Too often, people jump to comparing or minimising instead of simply listening openly. Coaching managers to demonstrate empathy, even when they don’t fully understand, is key. They might not know what endometriosis feels like. They might not understand the impact of hormonal shifts on someone’s mental health. And that’s okay, they don’t need to. What they do need is the willingness to be curious. Asking questions like, “What is that experience like for you?” or “What do you need from me?” These simple, human questions go a long way. It’s five minutes of potential discomfort (and it’s only discomfort because they aren’t used to it, the more we open up dialogue the more we normalise and make easier these conversations) to give someone the gift of feeling seen, safe, and valued at work. That’s not just good leadership, it’s culture-building.

Start with the basics. Audit your sanitary product provision. Are the products suitable for a range of needs? Do they cater to different flow levels? Do you offer reusable or eco-friendly options? Provide space for rest when needed, like quiet rooms or flexible working policies that take health into account. And please, normalise the chat. Health isn’t too much information. It's life. Share stories, start conversations, and make space for honesty.

And if you need convincing on why this matters, here are a few stats to take in:

• Over 1.5 million women in the UK live with endometriosis. Many are undiagnosed for years.
• Around 1 in 10 women of reproductive age have PCOS.
• 60% of women experiencing menopausal symptoms say it impacts their performance at work.
• Nearly 1 in 5 women leave jobs due to lack of menopause support.
• Mental health issues linked to hormonal conditions are still often misdiagnosed or dismissed.

The data is clear, we can’t afford not to act. It’s time to move from awareness to action, from token gestures to real culture change. Our workplaces must evolve to reflect the reality of women's experiences—not just to retain talent, but to ensure every person can thrive without hiding who they are or what they’re going through.

Let’s make space. Let’s listen. Let’s do better.