Research has highlighted that for some women, it isn’t just Covid that presents potential problems when returning to the workplace, with as many as 23% stating they’ve had to lie to take time off due to PMS symptoms.
Yoppie surveyed 2,403 UK women asking them if they had ever lied about feeling under the weather in order to take time off due to period problems such as pains or cramps.
26% of females fear their period pains or PMS symptoms will not be considered a legitimate illness
PMS (premenstrual syndrome) symptoms can be severe at times and so it’s no surprise that some women feel they need time off when they’re at their worst. However, what is worrying is that 23% of women feel that they need to lie about the reason for their absence.
Why then is this the case? Yoppie’s research shows that 26% of females fear that their period pains or PMS symptoms will not be considered a legitimate illness and therefore not a good enough reason to miss work.
18% stated that they feel self-conscious due to the subject itself. Being uncomfortable even discussing their feminine issues with colleagues prompts 13% to lie, with judgement from male colleagues (12%), in particular, following closely behind.
Another reason 12% of the women choose to lie rather than admitting that the absence is due to their periods is that they feel inadequate to other female colleagues who appear to not have days off due to menstruation.
11% were also worried that they might be judged for underperforming in their role while feeling off their game due to PMS problems.
There is a small silver lining though. Just 7% claimed that the reason for lying about their time off is due to poor facilities in the workplace, suggesting that the majority of companies provide plenty of period support in terms of accessible facilities.
Founder of Yoppie, Daniella Peri, explained: “Although periods are not the taboo topic that they used to be, it is clear that many women still don’t feel they can be open and honest about the severity of their PMS symptoms in the workplace.
“PMS is a very personal subject, but this doesn’t mean we should live in fear of being judged for taking time off. In fact, stress can be an influential factor in exacerbating PMS symptoms and so having to worry about covering it up could inadvertently make it worse.”
Yoppie exists to enable women to take control of their menstrual cycle through personalised product solutions and access to scientifically-backed health education. For more information, click here.
