ISO 45010 explained: what it asks of employers

On 7 September 2026 ISO published the first international standard on menstruation and menopause in the workplace: ISO 45010. Its full title is Occupational health and safety management, Menstruation and menopause in the workplace, Guidance. It was developed by ISO/TC 283, the same committee behind ISO 45001 for occupational health and safety.

First: what it is not

ISO 45010 is guidance, not a requirements standard. You cannot be certified against it and nobody obliges you to follow it. It describes what good employers do. Be wary of anyone selling an "ISO 45010 certificate": there is no such thing.

The starting point of the standard is clear: menstruation and menopause are not illnesses but normal life stages for a large part of your workforce. It gives no medical advice either; those questions belong with a doctor or occupational health.

What the standard asks of employers

• Facilities: easy access to clean, private toilets, also for people on the road or on shifts. Free menstrual products, a place for a short rest, water, and control over temperature and ventilation.
• Clothing: a discreet place to change, breathable uniforms in darker colours, and protective clothing that stays comfortable.
• Policy: a dedicated policy or a place in existing rules, written together with employees. Review absence, flexible working and performance policies too. Employees choose whether to record symptoms as a reason for absence, without it counting against them.
• Risk: include menstruation and menopause in your risk assessment, and look per person at which adjustment is safe and suitable.
• Culture and managers: no stigma, and managers who know how to have the conversation.
• Privacy: the standard has a separate clause on disclosure and privacy. Employees decide what they share, and with whom.
• Measuring: evaluate what works, at group level and not on individuals.

Small businesses get their own clause: you do not have to do everything at once.

Where to start

1. Ask your people. A short, anonymous survey shows where it hurts.
2. Sort the basics. Products in the toilets, a quiet space, flexibility where the job allows it.
3. Write it down. A short paragraph in your existing policy is enough to start.
4. Train your managers. One good conversation prevents a lot of silent absence.
5. Protect the data. Cycle information is health data. What you do not need to know as an employer, you should not be able to see.

Where PERIOD. at work fits

With PERIOD. at work every employee gets PERIOD. plus, the cycle app that explains every day what is happening in her body. Activation is anonymous with unique codes, you never see individual data as an employer, the data stays in the EU and is never sold. It does not replace policy or facilities, but it is a concrete part of them that you can arrange tomorrow.

Source: ISO 45010:2026 (ISO/TC 283), published September 2026. This article is general information, not legal or medical advice.