Over a million people a year hide sick days caused by period pain

A survey has revealed that more than a million people hide period sick days each year because they feel unable to tell their boss the real reason they’re off ill.

The latest Bupa Wellbeing Index found that as many as 47% of people who have periods say they’ve experienced severe period pain most months, suffering from regular symptoms such as nausea (cited by 31%) and headaches/migraines (48%).

Despite this, just 19% have felt comfortable openly saying the real reason when calling in sick.

This is likely due to nearly half (45%) admitting they don’t feel a period is a valid enough reason for calling in sick. Thirty-four per cent feel embarrassed and 31% are worried their employer just won’t understand.

As many as 42% push through their pain even when experiencing severe symptoms, but report feelings of exhaustion (41%), discomfort with period pains (37%) and making frequent trips to the bathroom due to heavy bleeding.

Sarah Melia, General Manager at Bupa Health Services, said, “Women [or people with periods] need companies to foster a workplace culture where they feel comfortable speaking openly and honestly about what they are experiencing.

“If companies are unable to do this, then productivity will slip, and they’ll lose the ability to attract and retain key talent.

“Education, flexible working and access to healthcare service are three ways companies can help women in their workplace manage heavy and painful periods, reducing sick days and retaining employees.”

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