About
Would the people in your organisation feel able to say they're struggling with their period at work?
In this episode, recorded live as a Henpicked webinar, Deborah Garlick is joined by her co-founder Sally Leech to talk about becoming a menstruation friendly employer. They cover why menstrual health matters at work, what gets in the way of talking about it, what employees are actually asking for, and the practical steps organisations can take right now.
Together, we explore:
- (00:43) Why more organisations are starting their menstruation friendly journey, and what a live poll showed about how far they've come
- (07:42) The case for action on demographics, business, law and social responsibility, including how many people who menstruate are in work in the UK
- (12:13) What stops people talking about menstruation at work, from stigma and embarrassment to male dominated environments
- (14:31) Why tribunals involving menstrual health are becoming more common, and what employers can learn from them
- (17:41) Back to basics: the menstrual cycle, what menstrual health really means, and why someone may have over 400 periods in their working life
- (20:08) Common physical and psychological symptoms, and why heavy menstrual bleeding shouldn't be dismissed as normal
- (22:08) Menstrual health conditions, including fibroids, endometriosis, adenomyosis, PCOS and PMDD, and how they can affect working life
- (25:14) Knowing what's normal and what isn't, and the damage done when people are told they're "just one of the unlucky ones"
- (28:21) Why support shouldn't wait for a diagnosis, when endometriosis takes an average of seven to eight years to diagnose
- (29:51) How an apprentice with endometriosis became one of her organisation's highest performers because her mentor understood
- (31:39) What employees told Henpicked they want: access to period products, an open culture and flexibility
- (35:32) Trust, manager confidence, formal policies and why being believed matters so much
- (39:27) Why "it isn't just a period": signposting, uniforms, working environments and peer support
- (42:08) In their own words: what a menstruation friendly workplace means to employees
- (43:30) The key levers for employers: culture, policies and practices, training, engagement and listening
- (50:42) Lessons from Huddersfield Town Football Club and Lloyds Banking Group, two of the first organisations to achieve Menstruation Friendly accreditation
- (55:25) Tackling the cost of free period products, and why access and dignity matter most
- (58:16) How to get started without feeling overwhelmed
Deborah and Sally are clear that this isn't a tick box exercise, and support doesn't need to be complicated or expensive. Most people aren't asking for special treatment. They want to be heard, believed and given simple, practical support so they can do their best work. The question they come back to again and again is: what's getting in the way of you being your best at work, and what can we do to help? Their advice to employers is to say what you do, do what you say, and keep listening.
Whether you're an HR or wellbeing lead building a business case, a manager worried about saying the wrong thing, or you simply want to understand what menstrual health really means at work, this conversation is essential listening.
Find out more about becoming a Menstruation Friendly employer: https://menstruationfriendly.co.uk/
