Published: 2024-02-08 by, News Team in the Health & Medical news category

Shocking Study Reveals: 1 in 3 Women Conceal Severe Period Symptoms at Work in UK

More than a third (35%) of women admit to feeling unable to be forthright with their managers when taking a sick day due to severe period symptoms. The reluctance to discuss period-related sick days stems from uncertainty about their validity (45%), feelings of embarrassment (34%), or concerns about their employer's understanding (31%). Annually, approximately 16.7 million sick days are attributed to period-related symptoms, averaging five days per woman.

Each year, over a million women conceal their period-related sick days from their employers due to discomfort revealing the true reason for their absence. Recent findings from the Bupa Wellbeing Index highlight that one in eight (13%) women took time off work in the past year due to period symptoms, with 35% providing alternative reasons for their absence.

Nearly half (47%) of women with periods endure severe period pain monthly, yet only a fifth (19%) openly attribute sick days to period pain. Other common symptoms include nausea (31%) and headaches or migraines (48%).

Despite experiencing severe period symptoms, 42% of women persist through their pain, often encountering exhaustion (41%), discomfort (37%), and frequent bathroom trips due to heavy bleeding (30%).

Regrettably, nearly half (45%) of women perceive periods as insufficient grounds for sick leave, with many feeling embarrassed (34%) or uncertain about their employer's understanding (31%).

Moreover, even when women do take time off for period-related symptoms, discussing it remains challenging. More than a third (35%) cite severe period pain as the reason for sick leave but provide a different explanation to employers. These trends indicate minimal progress in destigmatizing periods, paralleling Bupa data from six years prior, where 36% of women felt unable to be truthful with their managers regarding period-related absences.

This stigma persists due to a prevailing culture of silence in workplaces, with 38% of women reporting that periods are never discussed at their workplace, and a third (32%) feeling unable to openly address them. Even in environments where period health is discussed, outdated perceptions persist, with a quarter (23%) of women noting negative attitudes toward the subject.

Women suffering from severe period symptoms require approximately five days off annually. Across the UK, this results in nearly 17 million sick days taken due to periods each year.

Sarah Melia, General Manager at Bupa Health Services, emphasizes the need for companies to cultivate an environment where women feel comfortable discussing their experiences openly. Failure to do so may result in decreased productivity and difficulty retaining key talent. Melia suggests that education, flexible working arrangements, and access to healthcare services can help women manage heavy and painful periods, reducing sick days and improving employee retention.

A lack of awareness about period-related symptoms contributes to workplace attitudes. Less than a fifth (18%) of women believe more training for managers is necessary, and many advocate for concrete period health policies, including free sanitary products (36%), designated days off for period health (30%), and access to services such as GP appointments (19%).

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