'We'd never ask people to bring their own toilet paper to work'
Ottawa is looking for feedback on proposed regulations that would make menstrual products available in federally regulated workplaces.
The proposed changes are meant to reduce physical and psychological health risks associated with a lack of access to menstrual products at work, while providing employers with flexibility in how they are implemented.
“We’d never ask people to bring their own toilet paper to work. So why do we do that with menstrual products? We’re changing that,” says Seamus O’Regan Jr., minister of labour. “We’re putting menstrual products in federally regulated workplaces and treating workers with the dignity they deserve.”
Read more: Should menstrual products be free at work?
Current regulations under Part II of the Code require employers to provide basic sanitation products such as toilet paper, soap, warm water, and a means to dry hands. The draft regulations aim to include menstrual products to the list, at no cost to employees who need them at work.
The draft regulations would amend the following five occupational health and safety regulations:
- Canada Occupational Health and Safety Regulations
- Aviation Occupational Health and Safety Regulations
- Maritime Occupational Health and Safety Regulations
- On Board Trains Occupational Health and Safety Regulations
- Oil and Gas Occupational Safety and Health Regulations.
Interested parties can share their feedback on the regulations here until Nov. 13, 2022.
Read more: Breaking the stigma around menstruation
When employees, including those who are gender-diverse, find themselves without access to these products, they may turn to unsuitable solutions, according to the government. It adds that some may even avoid the workplace altogether due to the shame and stigma that continue to surround menstruation in some instances.
The proposed regulation covers all workers in federally regulated public and private sectors who menstruate, such as cisgender women, non-binary individuals, transgender men and intersex people.
Read more: Ontario-based employer offers paid menstrual leave
It aligns with other efforts by the government to break down barriers to equality, such as the national pilot for the Menstrual Equity Fund, which will help make menstrual products available to Canadians in need.
