New data reveals women feel a need to lie about having their period at work

A Waurn Ponds woman lied to her boss to go home because of painful period cramps after she was told to “toughen up”. And she’s not the only who has felt the need to make up an excuse while menstruating.

Lucy Wallace was told to “toughen up” when she asked to go home from work due to bad period cramps. Picture: Alan Barber

When Lucy Wallace asked if she could go home from work because of painful period cramps, her manager told her to “toughen up”.

The 23-year-old retail worker often experiences “terrible” periods that sometimes cause her to throw up.

Ms Wallace, from Waurn Ponds, was 18 when she experienced exceptionally bad period cramps while at work.

“I was feeling really sick and looking really pale,” she said.

“I was working on a register and my colleagues said to go talk to one of our managers.”

Ms Wallace said she felt she could be honest with her female manager as she would be able to relate to having painful cramps.

“I told her I have really bad cramps and that I needed to go home,” she said.

“She said to me, ‘All girls have it, you need to finish your shift then you can go home, just toughen up’.

“It was such a belittling experience.”

Ms Wallace went back to work but still felt sick so went to speak to a different manager.

“It was awful because I felt like I had to lie to the other manager so I could go home,” she said.

“I told him my sister had crashed her car and that I needed to pick her up.

“I felt like I was stuck in mud because I didn’t know what else to do.”

New data from Hello Period, a sustainable period care company, showed 77 per cent of people have lied to their manager about why they were taking a sick day when it was their period.

It also revealed 80 per cent of females felt anxious about having their period at work and 53 per cent uncomfortable discussing their period with their colleagues.

Women’s Health and Wellbeing Barwon South West chief executive Jodie Hall said stigma around periods has been built socially and culturally throughout generations.

“This is something that half of the population experiences so it’s mad there is a stigma or taboo around it,” she said.

“There can be a sense of embarrassment about it but I think it is changing.

“In the workplace, (periods are) slowly (becoming normalised) as endometriosis and other (period-related) conditions becoming more understood.”

Lucy Wallace was told to “toughen up” when she asked to go home from work due to bad period cramps. Picture: Alan Barber

Ms Wallace said talking about your period was still considered taboo at her workplace.

“I wouldn’t talk about my period with other employees,” she said.

“Even if they are female, if we weren’t close friends, I wouldn’t bring up my period.

The data also showed 74 per cent of females would like their workplace to provide period care products.

“We don’t have free tampons or pads at work in the bathrooms and we have such a big workforce,” Ms Wallace said.

“I think (periods are) one of those things that doesn't get spoken about as much as it should be.

“All females go through this and the only way to normalise it is to share your experiences.”

The content summaries were created with the assistance of AI technology, then edited and approved for publication by an editor.

Originally published as New data reveals women feel a need to lie about having their period at work