Women with endometriosis are being failed by employers – we should introduce workplace health passports
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4 min read
The first time I heard of endometriosis was at my workplace, a little over 20 years ago.
A colleague collapsed and she was rushed to hospital. Little did I know, this was not a one-off for her but a regular occurrence. Two decades later, the colleague – who quickly became a friend – and I were reunited through the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Endometriosis.
Now, as chair of the APPG, I advocate for women with endometriosis every day. For many, work is a balancing act between health and their careers. For others, it’s an impossible task.
Confronted with these stories, a six-month inquiry by our APPG has exposed the scale of the problem. More than 6,000 women and 200 employers responded to the call for written evidence, alongside oral evidence sessions where we heard directly from women who felt pushed from the workplace or unable to progress.
Workplace monitoring systems are repeatedly identified as a major source of angst and disadvantage. One woman, a qualified nursery assistant, was unable to maintain her career due to flare-ups and inflexible absence systems. Absence systems prompted disciplinary action for time off taken at short notice. As a result, she can no longer work in a sector where she is passionate, well-trained and where her skills are desperately needed.
This is no isolated example. Some 52 per cent of respondents said absence policies had caused issues and 36 per cent faced disciplinary action. Automated workplace policies drive women with endometriosis from the workplace and need urgent review. ‘Trigger points’ systems must be removed in favour of individually considered disability-related or medically evidenced recurrent absence policies.
However, reactive systems are not enough. Although there may be growing engagement from employers, only 11 per cent reported manager training for menstrual health conditions in the workplace. In the absence of formal training, women are faced with repeated misunderstandings or dismissive attitudes.
But there is an appetite for action; 94 per cent of employers back a template ‘endometriosis action plan’ and government-issued guidance. Some of the work has already been done; from 2027, large companies must provide employee action plans for those with complex health needs. The government must work to provide specific and actionable guidance for employers or formally embrace existing standards as a clear guide.
These ‘employee action plans’ could hold the key to flexible and individually tailored absence policies which respect women and their circumstances. Alternatively, we could look to the British Standards Institution. The international standard (ISO 45010, 2026) on menstruation, menopause and the workplace was launched a few months ago, directly modelled from Britain’s own standard: BS-30416.
Only 11 per cent reported manager training for menstrual health conditions in the workplace
In evidence sessions, women repeatedly raised how individual line managers could make or break their experience. Some reported that female line managers were the most dismissive, erroneously comparing it to their own menstrual experience.
The public sector isn’t immune either. Evidence submitted to the inquiry demonstrated confidence among NHS staff in getting support is as low as 23 per cent. One woman captured the mood with: “People don’t leave companies, they leave managers.” Employers need to go beyond guidance and training to bypass the ‘line manager lottery’.
A critical recommendation in our report calls for a ‘workplace health passport’. These personalised passports support those with complex health needs, including women with endometriosis, to move roles and businesses without explaining themselves each time.
Working alongside an action plan, the passport provides line managers with the institutional recognition of conditions and necessary adjustments for individual women with endometriosis. As a result, employees can be confident of the necessary support without intrusive conversations with their line managers.
While there is no silver bullet, we must all pull in the same direction: people, government and employers. In some areas, this is as simple as increased education amongst managers. In others, we must redesign workplace absence systems, management tools and government guidance. As MPs, this report entrusts us with the voice and experiences of thousands of women across the UK.
Kirsteen Sullivan is Labour (Co-op) MP for Bathgate and Linlithgow, and chair of the APPG on Endometriosis
