Bleeding On The Job: A Menstruation Investigation
By ELIZABETH SEGRAN | July 25, 2016

Nancy Kramer, founder and CEO of the 330-person marketing agency Resource, was sitting in a swanky conference room in Silicon Valley with a potential client. She steeled herself in the moments before her presentation, ready to clinch a multi-million dollar deal. As negotiations heated up, she suddenly felt a trickle between her legs. She performed some mental calculations and realized that her period had arrived early. Unprepared, she excused herself to go to the bathroom only to find that there was not a tampon or pad dispenser in sight. She returned to her seat at the table, trying desperately not to get sidetracked by fear that she might leave the meeting with an unsightly stain at the back of her dress or worse, on the chair.
Kramer landed the contract, but a decade later, she still describes the day as an "emotional ordeal." And her experience is far from exceptional. In fact, a recent study found that 86% of American women have started their period unexpectedly in public without the supplies they needed. They report feeling panicked, embarrassed, and stressed. "There's not a woman that I've met that doesn't have a story," Kramer says.
I interviewed three dozen women for this article, all from a variety of backgrounds and professions—from tech executives and flight attendants to chefs and cashiers—and I asked each of them how their periods affect their work. One thing was clear across the spectrum: Menstruating at work is still a messy, unpleasant experience. And it's hard to talk about because it's shrouded in shame and anxiety. Case in point: Most of the women I spoke with asked not to be identified by name.
Startups are playing an activist role, helping break taboos. But a cultural shift seems to be underway. Over the last year, there's been a spike in menstrual activism. A runner making a statement by bleeding openly in a marathon. An artist posting pictures on Instagram with blood spots on her clothing. A CEO crusading for tampons to be available in schools and offices. Last month, the state of New York made history by passing a law that ensures that girls and women in public schools, shelters, and correctional facilities have access to menstrual products. Meanwhile, 15 of the 40 states that still have a "tampon tax" have moved to do away with it.
And it's not just individuals who are moving the needle. Startups are also playing an activist role, helping break taboos. There are companies offering female consumers high-tech underwear that prevents staining and sleek, inconspicuous tampon carrying cases. And there's at least one brand that upholds the proudly feminist message that periods are not embarrassing, dirty, or a sign of weakness.
Kramer landed the contract, but a decade later, she still describes the day as an "emotional ordeal." And her experience is far from exceptional. In fact, a recent study found that 86% of American women have started their period unexpectedly in public without the supplies they needed. They report feeling panicked, embarrassed, and stressed. "There's not a woman that I've met that doesn't have a story," Kramer says.
I interviewed three dozen women for this article, all from a variety of backgrounds and professions—from tech executives and flight attendants to chefs and cashiers—and I asked each of them how their periods affect their work. One thing was clear across the spectrum: Menstruating at work is still a messy, unpleasant experience. And it's hard to talk about because it's shrouded in shame and anxiety. Case in point: Most of the women I spoke with asked not to be identified by name.
Startups are playing an activist role, helping break taboos. But a cultural shift seems to be underway. Over the last year, there's been a spike in menstrual activism. A runner making a statement by bleeding openly in a marathon. An artist posting pictures on Instagram with blood spots on her clothing. A CEO crusading for tampons to be available in schools and offices. Last month, the state of New York made history by passing a law that ensures that girls and women in public schools, shelters, and correctional facilities have access to menstrual products. Meanwhile, 15 of the 40 states that still have a "tampon tax" have moved to do away with it.
And it's not just individuals who are moving the needle. Startups are also playing an activist role, helping break taboos. There are companies offering female consumers high-tech underwear that prevents staining and sleek, inconspicuous tampon carrying cases. And there's at least one brand that upholds the proudly feminist message that periods are not embarrassing, dirty, or a sign of weakness.
Being unprepared to get your period at the office is common and extremely stressful. While the majority of women might keep their purses and desks stocked with menstrual supplies, it only takes one instance of unplanned bleeding for things to go horribly wrong.