Period Symptoms at Work: What a Survey of 32,748 Women Found
PeriodsArticleMost women with painful or heavy periods go to work anyway. In a Dutch survey of 32,748 women, sick days for periods averaged 1.3 a year, but working at reduced capacity on period days cost 8.9 days of productivity a year. Only 1 in 5 who called in sick said it was their period, and two-thirds wanted more flexibility. Here is what the numbers show, their limits, and how to ask for help.
In this article
The picture of a woman who disappears from work every month doesn’t match the data. Most women go in. The cost shows up in focus.
The Dutch survey
In 2017, 32,748 women aged 15 to 45 in the Netherlands answered an online survey about period symptoms and work or school.1
| Finding | Result |
|---|---|
| Took time off for their period | 14%; 3% almost every cycle1 |
| Average sick days for periods | 1.3 a year1 |
| Worked at reduced capacity on period days | 81%1 |
| Productivity lost while at work | 8.9 days a year1 |
| Told their employer a sick day was for their period | Only 20%1 |
| Wanted more flexibility on period days | 68%1 |
Women under 21 were about three times more likely to miss work or school.1
So the often-quoted “nine days a year” is mostly lost focus on days women showed up, not days off.1
The limits: women chose to answer a social media survey about period symptoms, so the sample probably leans toward women with symptoms. Everything was self-reported.
A US survey
A 2022 survey of 1,867 US users of a period-tracking app found 45% had missed work for cycle symptoms, 48% had no support from their manager, and 95% had no workplace benefit for it, though 76% wanted one.2 The authors worked for or consulted for the app’s maker, and app users aren’t a cross-section of workers.2
What to do with this
- Count the impact. Note the days your period stopped or shrank, including meetings you sat through at half power. That’s the information a clinician needs.
- If you miss work most cycles, that’s a reason to ask about treatment. See why your cramps are so bad, is my period too heavy? and records to bring to a heavy-period visit.
- Ask for flexibility without a diagnosis: a short break, a later start or working from home on your heaviest day.
Try (to a manager): “A couple of days a month I deal with a health issue that makes long meetings hard. Could I block a short break on those days, or work from home?”
Period, Handled covers this in Chapter 10, “Work, Travel, Gym, Bed,” in a section called “The Hidden Workday.” Its Period Scorecard records what your period stopped and what it shrank, so “I go to work every day” becomes an accurate picture of your month. See the book.
This article is for general educational purposes only and is not medical advice. It isn't a substitute for diagnosis or treatment from a qualified healthcare professional who knows your health history. See a clinician for period pain that stops your daily activities, bleeding that soaks through protection every hour or two, periods with large clots, or symptoms that are new or getting worse. Workplace rights vary by country and employer. Girl Playbook does not endorse any specific product, test, or provider.
Girl Playbook sells this book. It provides education and worksheets, not individualized medical care.
Sources
The research behind this article, in the order it’s cited. How we source our articles.
- BMJ Open (via PubMed Central), 2019Productivity loss due to menstruation-related symptoms: a nationwide cross-sectional survey among 32 748 women (opens in a new tab)abcdefghi
- Digital Health (via PubMed Central), 2022Menstrual cycle-associated symptoms and workplace productivity in US employees: a cross-sectional survey of users of the Flo mobile phone app (opens in a new tab)ab
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