Women talk about suffering from period pain at work

More than half of women workers have experienced period pain that affects their ability to work, according to a survey for BBC Radio 5 live’s Emma Barnett programme.

Of those, nearly a third have been forced to take a day or more's leave.

Emma Barnett set up a confessional booth to allow women to speak anonyously about their experience of period pain at work.

One said: “At work, some people think ‘there’s that crazy hormonal lady’. You don’t want to be perceived in that way.”

The survey of over 1,000 women, conducted by YouGov, also showed that only 27% tell their boss that period pain is responsible. Common reasons given instead are headaches, stomach pains, colds or flu and medical appointments.