The Ongoing Misunderstanding of Women’s Cycles – A Call for Workplace Compassion ⚡💥🍒🤧

I find it both absolutely fascinating and infuriating that women's menstrual cycles and hormonal changes remain so misunderstood by both men and women. While it's understandable that many men may not fully comprehend these experiences, it's concerning that women themselves sometimes lack understanding of their own bodies—or may lack sympathy toward others whose symptoms are more severe.

One of the most pressing issues, in my view, is that the majority of workplaces in the UK still do very little to accommodate women’s needs. Equal opportunity has undeniably advanced in this country, and women often perform as well or even better than men in many fields. Of course, men and women are biologically different—that's a reality. Women bring invaluable traits to businesses—our keen eye for detail, patience, and empathy, honed through our roles as child bearers. We intuitively assess risks, create harmonious environments, and foster peace and sanctuary.

However, this incredible gift of bringing life into the world comes with physical costs. Our bodies—complex, interconnected systems—are tasked with reproduction. But it's simply absurd that symptoms like extreme fatigue, depression, anxiety, irritability, food cravings, menstrual cramps, skin changes, and disrupted sleep are still so often dismissed with, “It’s just a period—get on with it.”

Despite achieving equal rights, many women still juggle full-time work, motherhood, and household responsibilities—cooking, cleaning, laundry, and shopping—the very roles expected before the enactment of women’s rights legislation.

It’s baffling that society has not yet evolved to allow at least a couple of days each month to work from home or take leave when hormonal symptoms become overwhelming. When women are burnt out, emotionally neglected, and tethered by pain every month, their performance inevitably suffers. From a purely business perspective, treating staff with compassion and maintaining their wellbeing will always yield higher-quality work.

A noteworthy example comes from a Diary of a CEO podcast episode released in July 2025, where the owner implemented a policy allowing women to take a day off when needed—no questions asked. That kind of progressive thinking is rare in British workplaces, but simply talking about it is a step forward.

After all: all great things begin with an idea.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oySf4NJ_tM