Periods at work: what can employers do?

Short answer: a Radboudumc study of more than 32,000 women found that 14% sometimes call in sick because of period symptoms, and that many more keep working while functioning less well. As an employer it already helps a lot to make it talkable, offer some flexibility, provide period products and give your team a good tool to understand their cycle.

Why it affects your team

Cramps, headaches, fatigue and heavy bleeding are part of the working week for many women a few days a month. Most do not call in sick but keep working. In the Radboudumc study (published in BMJ Open) the productivity lost by working through symptoms came to about nine days a year on average. Almost nobody gives the real reason when calling in sick.

Five things that work

1. Make it normal. Mention periods and menopause in your health or absence policy. That one sentence makes a conversation with a manager much easier.
2. Offer flexibility. Working from home on a hard day, a later start or an extra break. It costs little and often prevents a sick day.
3. Provide products. Tampons and pads in the bathroom are a small effort with a big signal.
4. Train managers. Not to play doctor, but to have the conversation and refer to occupational health or a GP.
5. Give your team insight. Someone who tracks her cycle sees the hard days coming and can plan her week. With an overview for the doctor, a complaint is also taken seriously sooner.

ISO 45010

Since September 2026 there is an international guidance standard for menstruation and menopause at work, ISO 45010. It is not a certificate but guidance. Read what ISO 45010 asks of employers.

Privacy first

Health is personal. A good tool gives employees insight without the employer seeing anything personal. With PERIOD. at work every employee gets PERIOD. plus through their own code. You see nothing of what they log, the data is stored in the EU and never sold. You can try it free first with 10 colleagues.

Sources: Schoep et al., Productivity loss due to menstruation related symptoms, BMJ Open 2019 (Radboudumc, 32,748 women); ISO 45010:2026. This article is general information, not medical or legal advice.

Frequently asked questions

How many women call in sick because of period symptoms?

In the Radboudumc study of 32,748 women, 14% sometimes called in sick because of period symptoms.

Do employers have to offer menstrual leave?

Not in the Netherlands or the UK. Flexibility and an open conversation often help a lot already.

Does the employer see what employees log in PERIOD.?

No. The employer sees nothing personal; employees use the app with their own account.

Curious what this could do for your team? See PERIOD. at work or start a free trial with 10 colleagues.