Menstrual wellbeing of professional workers : a work demands-resources perspective

Abstract

Menstrual symptoms compromise the menstrual wellbeing of more than a quarter of the global workforce. However, to the best of our knowledge, the human resource management (HRM) literature, as well as the HR policy and practice, is almost silent on employee menstrual wellbeing. Drawing on the work demands-resources literature, we argue that employee work characteristics–work demands and work resources–influence how menstrual symptoms affect menstrual wellbeing. Our qualitative research on professional workers reveals that face-to-face work demands intensify somatic-affective menstrual symptoms, harming menstrual wellbeing. Meanwhile, providing work resources, such as unique forms of work control, supports menstrual wellbeing against the adverse effects of work demands and menstrual symptoms. Our work is among the first to establish an HRM research agenda on employee menstrual wellbeing. It contributes to an understanding of employee workplace menstruation as a work-personal demand within the work demands-resources literature. Accordingly, we emphasise the critical role of organisations in reducing specific work demands for menstruating employees and providing them with adequate specific work resources to support menstrual wellbeing. We propose an inclusive HR policy and practice that adjusts employee work demands and resources during menstruation periods to support menstrual wellbeing.