Despite what some men try to claim, period pain is zero percent a myth for many women. Wrenching waves of cramps, throbbing lower back pain, and vise-like headaches are par for the course every month for some of us, with varying levels of pain—and that doesn’t include the sudden onsets of tears, general rage, or never-ending refrigerator raids others experience. But what’s even worse than having to go through all of this every 28 days or so is that we still have to schlep our bloated, pained selves to an office in work-appropriate clothing (versus our old college sweats), pretend like nothing’s wrong, and make it through the day.

As miserable as those nine-plus hours of work can feel, though, there’s probably some solidarity in the office: 42 percent of women said that period pain has affected their job, according to a recent YouGov survey. Unfortunately, 82 percent also said that their employers don’t make any accommodations for this recurring health issue that half the population faces.

According to the survey, most women whose period pain is so severe that they have to take time off don’t feel comfortable telling their employers the real reason. Out of the 30 percent of respondents who said their period pain was bad enough that they stayed home, 68 percent said that they didn’t tell their supervisors the real reason. Only 6 percent of the total respondents said that they’d be comfortable discussing with their boss that period pain was affecting their work.

There’s still a long way to go for most companies when it comes to acknowledging this, however—and sadly, there’s precedent for women to be nervous about discussing debilitating period pain with their supervisors. Although some companies allow women to take period leave, other women have been fired for getting their period on the job. In June, a model was allegedly fired by Hyundai after asking repeatedly (and not being allowed) to use the bathroom to change her tampon during an auto show she was working (Hyundai said the model was fired due to “poor performance”). More recently, a 911 call taker was allegedly fired due to accidental period leaks at work.

To be clear, no one is asking for a ready supply of hot water bottles in the break room (although…), but a little understanding—and maybe not getting fired—would go a long way in corporate culture.

Related Stories:
–Woman Sues Former Employer for Firing Her Over a Heavy Period
–This Model Claims She Got Shamed and Fired for Being on Her Period During a Job
–Do Our Brains Really Work Differently When We’re on Our Periods?

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