The Power of Listening: Why Businesses Must Support Women’s Health in the Workplace
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It’s Time to Listen, Understand, and Act
March is a month dedicated to celebrating International Women’s Month and Endometriosis Awareness Month—a time to reflect on the challenges women face daily, particularly in the workplace. Yet, despite decades of progress, one reality remains painfully unchanged: women’s health is still not taken seriously enough in business.
For far too long, women have been expected to push through debilitating pain, exhaustion, and health conditions like endometriosis in silence. Their experiences are often dismissed, their suffering downplayed, and their needs ignored. But in a world striving for inclusivity and equality, businesses can no longer afford to look the other way. Listening to employees about their health is not a luxury—it’s a necessity.
1. Endometriosis Is Not Just ‘Bad Periods’—It’s a Workplace Crisis
Endometriosis affects 1 in 10 women, causing intense pain, chronic fatigue, nausea, and even infertility. Despite this, it takes an average of 7-8 years for a proper diagnosis, leaving millions to suffer in silence.
For working women, this means struggling through excruciating pain at their desks and on-the-go, taking unpaid sick leave, or feeling forced to leave careers they love simply because their workplace refuses to accommodate their health needs.
Businesses that listen and implement supportive policies—like flexible working hours, menstrual leave, and access to sustainable and toxin free peroiod products should they need them can make a life-changing difference.
2. The Productivity Myth: Why Ignoring Women’s Health Hurts Business
There’s a myth that addressing period and reproductive health is a ‘soft’ issue, but the numbers tell a different story:
💡 Endometriosis alone costs the UK economy over £8.2 billion annually in lost productivity.
💡 Presenteeism (working while unwell) reduces efficiency far more than short, necessary breaks.
💡 Employees who feel heard and supported are more engaged, productive, and loyal.
By failing to accommodate women’s health needs, businesses are actively losing money—through high staff turnover, increased sick leave, and low morale. Supporting employees isn’t just the right thing to do; it’s a smart business move.
3. Breaking the Stigma: Creating a Workplace That Works for Everyone
For centuries, periods and reproductive health have been wrapped in shame, secrecy, and stigma. Many workplaces still lack the basics:
🚫 No free period products.
🚫 No dedicated disposal bins.
🚫 No flexible policies for those managing chronic conditions.
It’s 2025, and the silence needs to end. A truly inclusive workplace isn’t one that just hires women—it’s one that listens to them, values their experiences, and provides tangible solutions to support their health.
Employers can start by:
✅ Normalising conversations around periods and reproductive health. ✅ Providing organic period products & sustainable disposal solutions so employees can manage their periods with dignity. ✅ Implementing flexible policies that allow women to manage symptoms without fear of repercussions. ✅ Training managers and HR teams to understand and support period-related health concerns.
4. Women’s Health Isn’t a Trend—It’s a Movement
Women have been told to ‘just get on with it’ for long enough. Businesses that continue to ignore the needs of their female employees will fall behind, while those who listen, adapt, and support will lead the way in building healthier, happier, and more productive workplaces.
This International Women’s Month and Endometriosis Awareness Month, let’s go beyond hashtags and marketing campaigns. Let’s make real change by giving women the support they deserve.
Are you ready to be part of the solution?
Join us in making workplaces period-positive and endometriosis-friendly with Fablittlebag. Get in touch to learn how your business can take the first step toward real inclusivity.
#InternationalWomensMonth #EndometriosisAwareness #ListenToWomen #PeriodsAtWork #Fablittlebag #BetterBusiness