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Now that conversations about menopause have become a ‘hot topic’ in the workplace…should other areas of female health be given the same attention?
Two experts in fostering inclusivity and gender equality in professional settings think that is time for Jersey to start talking about periods.
The island has made huge strides in recent years to raise awareness of the impact of menopause on an individual's performance at work and provide support for those navigating this transitional phase.
Thanks to workplace policies that provide reasonable adjustments for menopausal women, coupled with international awareness-raising efforts by celebrities who have shared their own experiences, individuals experiencing this life transition are increasingly receiving the support and understanding they need from their colleagues and managers.
However, there is a growing recognition that it is important to address other stages in a woman's life where hormonal fluctuations can impact her performance at work, as Kate Wright and Clare-Louise Knox told Bailiwick Podcasts in an upcoming episode of The Interview...
The menstrual cycle has four stages, each bringing its own set of hormonal changes that can affect how women feel and function at work.
First up is menstruation – aka the period – when the uterus sheds its lining and causes bleeding. Low levels of estrogen and progesterone at this time can cause cramps, bloating, fatigue, and mood swings – the body's signal to slow down. Unsurprisingly, concentration and communication at work can be challenging during this time, especially for the one-third of women who experience heavy periods.
Pictured: The menstrual cycle involves four stages, each affecting women's work performance and well-being due to hormonal changes.
Next, comes the follicular phase when estrogen levels start rising to prepare for ovulation. This brings more energy and an improved mood which can cause women to feel more productive, confident, social, creative and driven at work.
The ovulation phase happens in the middle of the cycle when an egg is released. The hormonal peak of testosterone at this time causes women to feel more extroverted, while the rise in estrogen peak makes them feel more energetic and proactive.
And finally, if the egg isn't fertilised, comes the luteal phase. Progesterone becomes the dominant hormone here, which has a soothing effect, bringing a sense of calmness and introspection, which can leave women more inclined to crave time alone as their energy begins to wane.
Both progesterone and estrogen levels fall dramatically at the end of this phase in the run-up to the bleed. This brings on the negative symptoms associated with premenstrual symptoms, such as cramps, bloating, low energy and mood.
These are all factors that can make getting through the working day more challenging – but all of which often go unspoken about.
However, each person's cycle is unique, especially for those with menstrual conditions who may respond differently to hormonal changes.
For women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), which is a recognised mental health disorder, hormonal fluctuations between each phase can trigger intense mood swings, anxiety, and depression.
Although ovulation is typically considered a time of high energy and mood, it can be particularly challenging for those with PMDD.
Pictured: Conditions like endometriosis and PMDD can exacerbate challenges by causing intense emotional and physical symptoms.
And for those dealing with endometriosis, the challenges with menstruation can escalate.
Endometriosis is an often painful and long-term conditions condition that affects 10% of women, which happens when tissue that normally lines the womb starts growing in other places.
Some have likened the pain felt during endometriosis flare-ups to what a woman in labour will experience – which is not something these women should have to contend with while sitting at a desk.
Despite the often debilitating pain that women with menstrual conditions may experience, many may not feel comfortable talking about the support they need due to the stigma surrounding periods.
But now that a conversation about menopause has happened, there is an opportunity to start talking about periods in the workplace too.
One woman working to start that conversation is Clare-Louise Knox – a women's health specialist who aims to make workplaces more inclusive and accessible.
Clare has worked with employers in Jersey and the UK to help level the playing field for women at work with her company 'See Her Thrive' by making workplaces more inclusive and accessible.
"We're in the midst of a real menstrual movement at the moment," Clare told Express. "And this comes off the back of menopause movement.
"But in terms of what we can do to better support employees with periods in our organisations, we need to start the conversation and address the stigma."
Someone who agrees that we need to start a conversation about periods to remove the stigma and advance gender equality in the workplace is HR consultant and cultural change specialist Kate Wright.
Through her nonprofit campaign group, The Diversity Network, Kate helps employers in Jersey to build diverse and equitable workplaces.
Kate and Clare collaborated last year with local businesswoman Julia Wallander to help local employers create menopause-friendly workplaces with a framework known as the 51 Employees Pledge that advocated for inclusive policies and support mechanisms,
Over 80 local businesses signed up for the 14-point-pledge which was a huge step in promoting open conversations about menopause in Jersey.
Pictured: The '51 Employers Pledge' contains 14 key actions to address the diverse needs of individuals experiencing menopause and create a supportive workplace culture – with 51 being the average age at which a woman reaches menopause.
Kate and Clare want to bring period health into the conversation and have said that the strategies outlined in the menopause pledge can serve as a starting point to be adapted for other female health issues.
Kate and Clare said that starting a conversation about periods is the first step in the fight for gender equality in the workplace.
This is because the effectiveness of statutory policies aimed at supporting women may be limited until women can openly discuss and address menstrual health without fear of stigma or discrimination.
Pictured: Clare-Louise Knox and Kate Wright advocate for open conversations about periods to remove stigma and advance gender equality in workplaces.
Clare said: "It's about starting the conversation, whatever that looks like. If you've got a women's network, start with a conversation, ask people about their experiences."
"Storytelling is a huge part of this and allowing people to talk and to connect and seek that really powerful peer support."
Kate agreed that normalising conversations about periods would create an environment where employees feel comfortable discussing their health issues with their managers without fear of being stigmatised.
She said: "We should be able to talk about periods or menstrual conditions in the same way as we do about other sort of physical health conditions.
"And you need to feel you can have the conversation without fear that you're going to be stigmatised as a woman in the workplace."
Kate said that the next step in combating period stigma and supporting female employees involves education and training for managers.
"We want to ensure that managers are equipped to provide employees with the support that they need in the workplace, whether that's some time off, more flexibility, or being able to signpost them to professionals working in the community who can give them expert medical advice.
Pictured: Kate stressed the need to educate managers to support employees with menstrual health issues sensitively.
"The other thing is that we're equipping our line managers to be able to spot when someone's struggling isn't themselves and to be able to have that sensitive conversation and then together work out the kind of support they might need.
"The conversation shouldn't just include women, it should cover all employees and all sorts of issues that might be going on.
"It's about changing that culture. And I think we're quite a long way off from achieving that and most organisations."
Some workplaces around the world have implemented period leave – a leave of absence from work for those who experience severe and often debilitating symptoms – but should this be a statutory requirement?
Perhaps... But Clare and Kate agreed that this alone would not be enough for creating full equality in the workplace. For that, a wider culture shift – involving various separate initiatives – is needed.
And Clare went a step further, noting that implementing specific leave policies for menstrual issues might actually weaken the position of women in the workplace and overlook the need for flexibility for everyone.
Pictured: Clare and Kate pointed to the drawbacks of specific menstrual leave policies and advocated for a more holistic approach to employee well-being.
She added: "Such policies may not accommodate individuals with conditions like PMDD, whose symptoms may extend beyond a single day or may not be solely physical.
"There's also the issue of disclosure and how individuals can get leave without feeling pressured to disclose personal health information."
Kate also pointed to the potential drawbacks of implementing specific menstrual leave policies.
"A lot of the evidence is suggesting these policies in countries like Spain, Taiwan, South Korea, and Indonesia are actually having a detrimental effect on women in the workplace because they are being stigmatised.
She instead advocates for a more flexible approach that caters to the various needs of all employees without singling out specific conditions.
Clare and Kate have called for employers to adopt more flexible approaches to sick leave policies and working arrangements that consider the diverse health needs of all employees, not just women.
As Clare said: "The best approach is flexibility for everyone. And that is truly equitable, isn't it?"
Kate feels that flexible and hybrid working arrangements have huge potential to promote inclusivity in the workplace, particularly for people with caring responsibilities, disabilities, and mental health conditions.
Kate added that evidence shows that a more inclusive and flexible approach to sick leave leads to better retention rates, higher productivity, and lower absence rates.
Conversely, organisations with more "draconian policies" risk losing employees or seeing a decline in productivity because staff won't take time off and will in turn become more ill.
She said: Many of our approaches to managing are pretty archaic. Do you really want to be forcing people into work when they're not able to perform well?
"Given the high cost of recruitment and the current challenges in finding talent, it is so important that organisations work on ways to retain their valuable employees."
Listen to the full interview with Kate and Clare on Bailiwick Podcasts to hear more about how equality in the workplace is inextricably linked to women's experiences of menstruation and menopause...
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