Priorities. Period.

Maddie Mack
Jul 24, 2017 · 4 min read

I envy sleight-of-hand magicians. They could reach into a purse or backpack and, with a subtle twist of the wrist, pocket any necessary period supplies before gracefully vanishing into the bathroom, no one the wiser.

Since I’m not a sleight-of-hand magician (yet?), I’ve spent years speedwalking to various bathrooms, my paranoid expression suggesting someone might try to steal the tampon clutched in my fist.

It’s not that I’m embarrassed to have a period; lots of people have periods. It’s just that I, like most people, prefer my bathroom business to be a total mystery to those around me. Judging by the promotion of “noiseless wrappers” and “compact applicators,” the feminine product industry has caught on to this social norm.

Periods suck and professionals still get them.

Even if we didn’t have tampon transportation to worry about, periods still suck. Anyone who’s had them also has a horror story from that time of the month––forgotten supplies, unexpected spotting, stained clothing (or worse, stained chairs.) It’s beyond embarrassing.

For $4.67 per woman per year, companies can make period supplies freely available to female employees. That number comes from Nancy Kramer, Chief Evangelist of IBM iX, founder of the Free The Tampons organization, and Certified Badass®.

On top of in-office period supplies, for $0 per woman per year, companies can allow female employees to work remotely if cramps or headaches or other period woes would be easier to handle from home.

$4.67 for peace of mind

Let’s explore the “expensive” option first. Free period supplies. A student touring a tech company recently tweeted her observation that the office had several types of free beer on tap but had 25¢ tampon machines in the ladies’ room. Priorities, folks.

Are free tampons really a big deal? Don’t women always just carry them?

Did you skip my rant about magicians in paragraph 1? Either way, according to a study by Free The Tampons, 86% of women have unexpectedly started their period in public without access to the supplies they need. And no, it doesn’t just happen to high schoolers. For women in the workplace, an unexpected period can affect productivity, general mindset and stress level. (Unlike high schoolers, we can’t just change into our P.E. clothes if a stain arises.)

The aforementioned study also states that 62% of women who find themselves without supplies go right to a store to purchase some, 53% ask another woman if she has any, and 34% go home to get what they need. All of these actions require them to take time out of their work day, and some might even require them to explain the situation to a supervisor, furthering the embarrassment or frustration of being unprepared for Aunt Flo.

In a pinch, 79% of women have improvised a feminine hygiene solution (generally using toilet paper). For those of you without firsthand experience, be assured it is both uncomfortable and distracting. Not a great combination for maximum job performance.

I was pleasantly surprised to see a fully-stocked basket of feminine hygiene products in the bathroom when I started at Lemonly. I recently asked Alyssa McDowell, our office coordinator at the time, about it. Her response was simple: “When we moved to the new office, I basically did all the necessity shopping. It kind of just seemed like a no-brainer to have those on hand.”

A no-brainer indeed.

Solution #2: Remote flexibility

Currently, only 38% of employees in the U.S. have the option to work from home at least one day a week. I’m a firm believer that if you can do your job better from home, you should be at home.

Let me reiterate––periods suck. Sometimes they suck less if you can wear sweatpants and have a heating pad on your tummy while you answer emails. I’ve done that several times, and I’m lucky to work for a company that’s perfectly happy to allow it. I can guarantee I’m not as productive if I’m trying not to wince in pain all afternoon.

Unfortunately, emotional issues can be part of the whole period thing too. Hormones, dude. And sometimes a lady just needs a good cry. (Not all women. I make no generalizations.) If you’re having that kind of day, it’s far easier to handle where you don’t have to interact with anyone else.

Make it happen.

These are easy fixes that can make a huge difference. Our Lemonly CEO John T. Meyer has a great track record of sensitivity to the unique needs of women in the office, particularly for new and/or breastfeeding moms, but it took some action from someone else for him to be aware of this particular perk. Go Alyssa!

It’s very possible your boss would be similarly unaware but supportive. Share this with your supervisor/office coordinator/whomever and ask that they invest a couple of bucks, allow a little flexibility and save everyone from having to learn any sleight-of-hand magic tricks.

Does your company have free period supplies? Let us know in the comments or tweet us at @NotJustHR.

If you think all companies should know it only costs $4.67/year/woman to provide this benefit, click the heart button below. For more reading on the subject, check out this piece from Fast Company.


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Thanks to Nick Lorang and John T. Meyer

Maddie Mack

Written by

I write for clients and for myself. I can moonwalk but I’m bad at bowling.

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