Why Should Facilities Managers Care About Period Dignity?
Every person who has periods knows the daunting, heart‑in‑mouth fear of being caught short in the workplace. Your period has arrived – and having access to a tampon or a pad can be the difference between a normal day at the office and the worst day of your career.
Likewise, those living through the cost‑of‑living crisis are now starting to experience that feeling all too often.
That is what made the Period Products Act so historic. The revolutionary law enforced from last August made Scotland the first place on earth to make access to free period products a legal right.
It is not hyperbolic at all to say it is changing lives. And its successes will continue to blossom.
But not every country is like Scotland. Good progress is being made in other areas of the UK, but the fight towards period dignity continues on.
Where we are seeing successes, however, are the incredible businesses who are introducing period dignity schemes – making products easily accessible in staff washrooms.
Through my work, I have seen success stories in almost every industry you could think of. And that includes the typically male‑dominated sectors such as energy or construction, with facilities managers and HR teams looking to encourage more diversity in the workforce.
But why should employers care about supplying period products when they are available in stores, I hear you ask?
Well for a start, research by Bloody Good Period has found nine in 10 of 3,000 UK workers polled experience stress or anxiety in the workplace relating to their period.
That stress can have an untold impact on productivity, let alone their wellbeing at work.
Indeed through our own research, we have found that 68% of people who have periods have left work immediately when they did not have the right product to hand when their period unexpectedly arrived.
Everyone has been impacted by the cost‑of‑living crisis in some shape or form, and the unfortunate reality is that many people are now forced to make difficult choices around period products.
Having that stress taken away, be it because you cannot afford a product yourself or simply have been caught short, can have a huge impact.
And that impact is passed onto your business through increased employee engagement and morale, alongside the feeling of knowing how much such a small gesture has on their health and wellbeing.
That’s not even considering the reduced absence levels many companies experience by removing the need to leave the office should staff be unprepared for the arrival of their period.
But when we’re all feeling the pinch, how can an employer be expected to pay for period products?
Put simply, because it is nowhere near as expensive as you’d think. Indeed, it is a perfectly affordable part of your facilities management budget.
But it is about something so much more important than money. I’m sure you would be horrified if you heard of an employer that didn’t pay to provide free toilet paper in company washrooms.
Period products should be looked at in the same light. These are natural bodily functions no‑one can help having.
The second we break that taboo and make products freely accessible to those who need them will be the day period poverty is eradicated in this country once and for all.
To anyone considering introducing a period dignity scheme in their workplace, I applaud you. To those yet to think about it, I highly recommend opening up the conversation with your employees.
Only through positive, constructive communication can we make the changes that create a fairer world.
All images credit: Hey Girls.
