Health Challenges

Navigating Menstrual Pain at Work

Facing the Challenges of Menstrual Pain

Each day, you’re navigating through meetings, managing multiple responsibilities, and driving projects forward with resilience and focus. Amidst these professional demands, there’s an unseen challenge you face: menstrual pain. It’s a persistent companion that affects your productivity and well-being, yet often goes unnoticed by those around you.

You’ve got severe cramps. Your energy levels fluctuate dramatically. Your brain feels foggy, and your concentration seems elusive. Your mood swings from calm to irritable to despondent and back again.

At Gloria, we understand the challenges you’re facing because we’ve been there–and we’re here to help.

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The Many Symptoms of Menstrual Pain

Working women experiencing menstrual pain, or dysmenorrhea, commonly report the following work-related difficulties:

  • Severe cramps that make it hard to focus on work tasks (ACOG, 2019)
  • Persistent fatigue that affects energy levels and productivity (BMJ, 2019)
  • Headaches and migraines that impair concentration (ACOG, 2019)
  • Emotional fluctuations impacting interactions and decision-making (BMJ, 2019)
  • Nausea and dizziness making it challenging to maintain usual work routines NIH, 2022)
Sound familiar?

Most women and individuals assigned female at birth will undergo physical, mental, and emotional symptoms during their menstrual cycles. While the severity and impact of these symptoms differ among individuals, almost everyone faces challenges in managing them.

Up to 90% of women experience menstrual pain, and around 10-15% suffer from severe pain that affects their daily activities, including work2

If you’re experiencing these symptoms of menstrual pain or feeling uncertain about managing them at work, know that many others share similar experiences.

1 in 2

According to research from CIPD, approximately 49% of employees reported that they never inform their manager that their absence from work is due to their menstrual cycle. 3

2 in 3

67% of employers reported that they do not have formal support available, such as menstrual health policies and provisions.3

Nearly 9 days

The number of days of lost productivity annually due to menstrual symptoms for women with menstrual pain.2

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References

  1. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). “Managing Menstrual Pain and Health in the Workforce.” (2019). ACOG
  2. BMJ research (2019). “Productivity loss due to menstruation-related symptoms: a nationwide cross-sectional survey among 32,748 women.” BMJ
  3. CIPD research. “Menstruation and menstrual health in the workplace: Guide for people professionals.” CIPD
  4. National Institutes of Health (NIH). “Primary Dysmenorrhea: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, and Treatment.” (2018). NIH
  5. World Health Organization (WHO). “Menstrual Health in the Workplace.” (2021).

Disclaimer: This one-pager offers a summary of key topics in women's health, supported by research data and sources. It is intended for general informational purposes only and does not replace detailed academic studies. For more comprehensive and detailed insights, please refer to the original research cited.