Why has it taken a pandemic to improve PMS in the workplace?

Yoppie, the pioneers of personalised menstrual health, has found that while a change in the way we work due to the pandemic has helped ease the impact of PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome) in the workplace, just one in five women benefit from an official workplace period policy.

Yoppie commissioned a survey of nearly 5,000 UK women to see how the pandemic has impacted the way they work and what this means when it comes to managing their PMS symptoms.

The findings show that for 39%, PMS symptoms in the workplace impact their ability to work to their fullest potential.

However, since the start of the pandemic, 90% stated that their job flexibility has increased and 77% said that this had allowed them to better manage their PMS symptoms, making them more productive as a result.

This company culture with a focus on flexibility was very important for 60% of those surveyed, with a further 33% considering it fairly important.

So much so that 87% would be more likely to opt for a job role that allowed this flexibility going forward.

But despite the high demand for PMS workplace flexibility, just 22% of those surveyed said their workplace has an official period policy allowing them to work from home if needed.

Founder of Yoppie, Daniella Peri, commented:

“One silver lining of the pandemic has been our ability to live a far more flexible lifestyle and a better work life balance has brought a number of benefits, particularly for those who have enjoyed more time spent with the family.

For many women, it’s also allowed us to better manage our menstrual health and the impact that PMS has on our day to day professional productivity.

However, it’s quite astonishing that it’s taken a global pandemic to address this issue and the vast majority of women still don’t have the ongoing benefit of a workplace period policy. As we now start to see a gradual return to workplace normality, the pressures of dealing with PMS in the workplace will no doubt start to return and this will have a detrimental impact on many women.”