Women make up nearly half of the workforce and many experience period symptoms that affect comfort, focus, and daily routines. Yet menstrual health is still largely absent from workplace policies and benefits design.

When routine health needs are not addressed in workplace design, employees are often forced to improvise or leave the workplace to manage them. Research shows 86% of women have started their period unexpectedly in public without the supplies they needed. When basic health needs aren’t supported, they affect employee experience, productivity, and workplace culture in measurable ways. Period health is not a niche issue. It is a routine part of workforce wellbeing that employers increasingly need to consider as they design supportive and effective workplaces.

The Business Case for Period Health Support

Ignoring menstrual health does not eliminate its impact on the workplace. Instead, it shifts the burden onto employees and teams.

Presenteeism can quietly erode productivity.
Presenteeism—where employees suffer through work while unwell—reduces productivity and performance even when employees are physically present. Many employees continue working while experiencing symptoms such as pain, fatigue, or migraines. 80.7% of women reported experiencing presenteeism due to menstrual health symptoms.
Small operational changes can prevent avoidable disruptions.
Research shows 62% of menstruators have left work to purchase supplies, 53% have asked someone to borrow products, and 34% have gone home to retrieve them, creating unnecessary interruptions and distractions during the workday. Providing menstrual products in workplace restrooms is a low-cost infrastructure change that reduces these disruptions while improving employee comfort and engagement.
Manageable upfront costs, meaningful return on investment.
With an average annual supply cost of approximately $6 per employee, providing period products in workplace restrooms represents a modest operational investment. For an employer with just 50 female employees, that investment can generate an ROI of at least 287% in the first year alone, even after initial implementation costs—meaning the return continues to grow in subsequent years as those upfront costs are absorbed.
To calculate your organization’s custom ROI for free period products, click here.
Mitigating risk as legislation and legal expectations evolve.
Courts are beginning to recognize conditions such as endometriosis and severe menstrual disorders in workplace accommodation cases, holding employers accountable. Proactively addressing period health through workplace policies and infrastructure can help employers stay ahead of emerging compliance and legal risk. Developing paid leave policies that explicitly reference reproductive and menstrual health care ensures that workers are supported and people managers have clarity on how to accommodate worker needs.

Designing Workplace Infrastructure that Supports Period Health

Organizations that successfully support employee wellbeing treat everyday health needs as part of workplace design. Effective menstrual health support typically centers around two areas.

Access to Period Products

Stocking period products in clearly marked dispensers or baskets allows employees to access supplies discreetly without needing to ask, reducing disruption and supporting dignity at work. For employers considering this step, understanding cost and potential impact can help inform decision-making. RMH Compass has developed an ROI calculator that allows organizations to input factors such as workforce size and number of facilities to estimate both the cost of providing period products and the potential return through reduced disruption and improved employee experience.

Clear and Inclusive Sick Leave Policies

Many organizations allow employees to use paid sick leave for health needs, but policies often do not explicitly acknowledge menstrual symptoms. Clarifying that menstrual health related symptoms qualify for sick leave removes ambiguity and helps normalize employees’ ability to manage symptoms without stigma. To help employers take this step, RMH Compass has developed a resource, Putting It Into Practice: Enhancing Sick Leave Policies to Support Reproductive & Maternal Health, to provide guidance and sample language employers can use to update policies and better support employees managing menstrual symptoms at work.

Moving From Awareness to Action

Addressing period-related needs at work does not require complex or expensive programs. In many cases, the most effective changes are straightforward. RMH Compass provides practical tools to help organizations take action—from estimating the impact of providing period products to implementing clearer leave policies that support employees managing period-related symptoms.