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Download the little book of menstruation, menstrual health and menopause for SME-specific guidance on the topic here.

What is BS 30416 Menstruation, menstrual health and menopause in the workplace – Guide about?

Against a backdrop of skills shortages and recruitment challenges, many organizations still don’t properly cater for the needs of employees who menstruate and experience peri/ menopause symptoms.

For the organizations that have started to recognize this deficit, BS 30416:2023 is designed to help them identify practical workplace adjustments and activities that reflect good practice for supporting employees who menstruate and experience peri/ menopause symptoms. While the focus is on menstrual and menopausal health, the recommendations are likely to be of benefit to all employees.

Who is Menstruation, menstrual health and menopause in the workplace – Guide’ for?

• Managers
• HR
• OH&S, wellbeing and diversity and inclusion specialists

What does BS 30416 Menstruation, menstrual health and menopause in the workplace – Guide’ cover?

It gives guidance on developing policies and practices that are supportive of employees in the workplace experiencing menstruation or peri/menopause.

BS 30416:2023 is a practical tool with many examples of actions and small adjustments that can be made to improve the wellbeing of people at work who are experiencing menstruation or menopause. It can also help organizations identify the misconceptions around menstruation and peri/menopause, and the impact the taboo surrounding them can have on workplace support.

The standard will help those responsible for managing individual workloads, wellbeing or work environments, as there are examples of adjustments for:

• Physical aspects of work
• Policy guidance and practices
• Supportive workplace cultures
• Work design
• Inclusivity
• Evaluation and metrics

There are also practical annexes with checklists and tools to use such as:

• Tips for having confidential conversations
• Conversation topics and potential workplace adjustments that could be helpful
• Team management considerations
• Ideas for facilitating culture change
• Training considerations
• Further reading

NOTE: Implementing the guide’s recommendations will bring benefits to all employees. The recommendations are applicable to all sectors, employee demographics, and small and large organizations, and can be adapted to individual business needs.

Why should you use BS 30416 - BS 30416 Menstruation, menstrual health and menopause in the workplace – Guide?

A lot of misinformation is being used to shape new policies, training materials and practice in this area, which can leave organizations with negative or even legal consequences. BS 30416:2023 provides standardized national guidelines that are authoritative and reliable.

In addition, adoption of the recommendations in BS 30416 can benefit organizations by:

• Supporting existing activities around workplace wellbeing and occupational health and safety initiatives
• Improving the health and wellbeing of employees
• Increasing employee engagement and productivity
• Boosting the healthy working life expectancy of employees
• Increasing employee retention, and reducing the costs or attrition, recruitment and training
• Improving diversity and inclusion objectives by preventing the loss of women and people who menstruate, as well as older, disabled, neurodivergent or chronically ill employees due to inadequate or inflexible working conditions
• Demonstrating the organization’s commitment to the Equality Act 2010
• Increasing confidence in the organization’s commitment to staff
• Strengthening risk management

To learn more about what BS 30416:2023 covers and its benefits, listen to The Standards Show podcast episode here.

BS 30416:2023 contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goal 3 on good health and well-being, Goal 5 on gender equality and Goal 12 on responsible consumption and production.