The standard work month—26 days, 8 hours a day—has been around for so long that we assume it’s the only way to structure work. But here’s the catch: this schedule is built around men’s biological rhythms, not women’s. It may have worked when men dominated the workforce, but it no longer suits the realities of today’s diverse workforce. While men’s energy levels generally follow a predictable 24-hour cycle, women’s bodies operate on a 28–40 day cycle, fluctuating through the follicular phase, luteal phase, and menstruation impacting everything from mood and energy levels to cognitive focus and physical stamina. Yet, we often blame women for not fitting into a system that was never designed with their unique rhythms in mind.
What if the workplaces stopped pretending and started working in alignment with women’s biology instead? I propose two possible work month scenarios:
Scenario 1: The Most Effective Approach
A customized 30-day work cycle that aligns with women’s biological rhythm:
(A) 20 days (Follicular Phase & First-Half of Luteal Phase) → High-Moderate Energy → 10-11 hour workdays (with 3 weekly offs)
(B) 10 days (Second-Half of Luteal Phase & Menstruation) → Low-Moderate Energy → 4-hour workdays (with any 3 days off)
This structure ensures that women work more when their energy levels support it and slow down when their bodies demand rest, without compromising total work hours.
Scenario 2: A Less Effective But Still Potential Option
A slight improvement over the standard schedule:
(A) Stick to the standard work month of 8-hour workdays throughout the month and year.
(B) Provide any 2 extra days off in addition to the weekly offs and stipulated casual leaves that women can take at their prerogative (which most likely will be utilised during their pre or during menstruation).
This model provides minimal relief but is easier for the HR community to implement and less radical for the world who is habitual to the existing standard schedule. It assumes that giving women two days off will address their needs without altering the basic work structure.
What do these scenarios offer?
It’s easy to assume that only the first 2-3 days of menstruation are a problem, but the 5-6 days leading up to menstruation are just as challenging. This is when estrogen is low and progesterone is high, preparing the body for pregnancy. This isn’t PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome, which is when the changes are extreme and need special attention); this is a regular shift that every cycling woman experiences. Most women don’t get cramps or headaches only during menstruation. Fatigue, brain fog, and reduced stamina start days before bleeding even begins.
Yet, at workplaces we expect women to perform as if this difference doesn’t exist. Women push through exhaustion, call in sick when they can’t anymore, and feel guilty about it. Truth being told, most women don’t fully grasp the depth of how their hormonal cycles influence their daily life. While this level of ignorance about our own bodies is unacceptable. (The medical research community, educational systems have a lot to answer and change on this. But let’s discuss that in a different article and stay on the work schedule in this one.) Instead of recognizing that some days their bodies will outperform their expectations and on some days, they would have simply given up, women carry the guilt, the confusion, the label of being erratic.
Scenario 2, which provides just two days off, falsely assumes that menstruation is the only phase requiring accommodation. Meaning women still have to work full 8-hour shifts even when their bodies are at their lowest energy levels.
Instead of offering just 2 days of complete rest, Scenario 1 reduces work intensity over a longer period, which is far more effective in keeping women comfortable and productive. With this system, work hours are distributed based on actual energy levels. Women work more when their body supports it and slow down when it naturally demands rest. No one has to push through exhaustion or feel guilty for slowing down.
The standard work scenario of course, offers no flexibility at all.
These are my suggestions from experiences of women around me and some my own. These are not rigid —women should decide together what works best for them. The idea is to work with the body, not against it. The specifics can be worked out collectively.
If workplaces actually want to create a more productive system, then it’s important to create a biologically aligned system wherein work hours ebb and flow with energy levels, rather than forcing a rigid, same-everyday schedule.
Why this works?
Women Shouldn’t Have to Make Excuses for Their Bodies
Most women have had to lie about being sick just to get the rest their body naturally demands. “Food poisoning” or “migraine” are socially acceptable reasons to take a break, but saying “I’m completely drained because my body is literally preparing to shed its uterus lining” somehow isn’t. Women already feel guilty for needing time off, even though their bodies function in cycles, not straight lines. A system like this would take away the unnecessary guilt and allow women to simply exist as they are.
Productivity Shouldn’t Mean Fighting Against Nature
Women’s energy isn’t linear. Right after menstruation, estrogen rises, bringing higher focus and stamina—this is the time for high-intensity, deep-focus work. In the luteal phase, however, progesterone increases, making the body more tired and sensitive to stress. Instead of pushing through and burning out, work should adjust accordingly. This isn’t about working less—it’s about working smart. When the body is naturally full of energy, work should be intense and efficient. When it’s slowing down, the workload should ease accordingly. The total hours worked in a month remain the same, but instead of women spending a third of their time fighting their own biology, they get to work in harmony with it.
A Work System That Actually Recognizes Reality
A workplace designed for men’s 24-hour hormonal cycle has long been seen as “neutral.” But it isn’t. It simply ignores half the population’s reality. If a one-size-fits-all system has only ever been tested on one group, then it’s not neutral—it’s outdated.
Why this model needs Enabling Systems?
Adjusting work hours alone isn’t enough. Flexibility in office hours holds little value if women continue to bear the sole responsibility for domestic labour. Before understanding what systems are required to make things equitable for women; let’s have a look at the current scenario.
There is a hidden ‘invisible’ economy at work. We all know it, we all benefit from it, few of us appreciate it, but most of us do not value it. It is ‘domestic labour’. This mainly includes cooking, cleaning, childcare, eldercare, and other household duties. Even today these tasks are primarily performed by women. Domestic labour is a cornerstone of our society, yet remains largely unrecognized in economic measurements, for example it is not calculated in the GDP (Gross Domestic Product). Women spend on average, three times more time on unpaid domestic work than men. According to a 2024 article in the Economic and Political Weekly, the estimated value of unpaid household work in India ranged from 26% to 36% of the gross domestic product (GDP) during the 2022–23 period. (Economic and Political Weekly. ‘’Valuation of Unpaid Household Activities in India’’ 2024). This invisible work supports families and the broader economy, as it enables paid workers, particularly men, to participate in the workforce. (International Labour Organization (ILO), “Care Work and Care Jobs for the Future of Decent Work” report, 2018).
The absence of formal recognition of their labour creates a burden on women, hindering their ability to enter the paid workforce or advance in their careers. OECD data shows women are less likely to work full-time due to domestic responsibilities, leading to lower wages and fewer opportunities. Even for women who choose to stay at home, their labour remains undervalued, neither compensated nor appreciated. (OECD, “Women at the Core of the Fight against COVID-19 Crisis,” 2020).
According to a 2018 report by the International Labour Organization (ILO), women in India earn, on average, 30% less than men, highlighting a significant gender wage gap. (Business Standard, ‘’Gender wage gap highest in India, women are paid 34% less than men’’, 2018 business-standard.com). Regarding women’s representation in senior positions within India’s technology sector, a 2023 report by NASSCOM indicates that while women constitute 36% of the nearly 5 million industry professionals, their presence in senior leadership roles is disproportionately low. (BCG, ‘’ GenAI The Diversity Game Changer We Can’t Ignore’’, 2024 web-assets.bcg.com). Furthermore, a 2023 report by IFMR LEAD reveals that 18% of startup CEOs and founders are women, compared to only 5% in corporate settings. (WISER, ‘’Women in India’s start-up Ecosystem Report’’, 2023 ifmrlead.org).
These statistics underscore the persistent challenges women face in achieving equitable pay and ascending to leadership positions within India’s workforce.
So the systems we need so that the new work scenarios actually work? The following ones:
1. Resting Areas That Can Actually Be Used
The resting area should be open even to women on leave. Just because an office gives them flexibility doesn’t mean their homes will. Many women still have to cook, clean, and take care of their families even when they’re physically drained. If they can’t actually use their time to recover, then the entire system is a failure. A real solution means allowing women to come into the office just to rest for 5–10 hours if they need to.
2. Subsidised/Free Meals
Because Women Still Carry the Burden of Cooking Even after a long workday, the responsibility of cooking still largely falls on women. Workplaces should provide free breakfast, lunch, and dinner so at least one major burden is taken off their shoulders. And better yet, if they want, women should be able to pack nutritious meals for their families. A meal system that actually serves women’s needs instead of just assuming they’ll figure it out? That’s the kind of change that matters. (And honestly, that’s a startup idea waiting to happen.)
3. Free Crèche Services
Because Motherhood and Careers Shouldn’t Be a Trade-Off. If companies truly want women to thrive, reliable childcare is non-negotiable. A free crèche service ensures that women don’t have to choose between being present at work and taking care of their kids.
4. Pick-Up and Drop Services
Because Getting to Work Shouldn’t Be the Hardest Part. Why should women have to spend extra time and energy navigating unsafe or unreliable transport? A company-provided transport service ensures that they get to work (and home) safely and comfortably.
What About the Men? Before anyone says, “But what about men?”—this isn’t about exclusion. For centuries, workplaces have been designed entirely around men’s needs. Women don’t need special treatment. They just need a system that acknowledges reality—that they function differently, and that’s okay.
Better Economics
Implementing workplace policies that align with women’s biological cycles isn’t just about fairness—it’s a smart economic decision. Presenteeism, where employees are at work but not fully productive due to health issues, costs businesses significantly, and addressing menstrual health directly improves productivity (REBA Global – https://reba.global/resource/why-supporting-menstruation-in-the-workplace-is-a-vital-investment.html?). Flexible work arrangements also boost employee retention, with 50% of employees considering them essential (WSI Franchise – https://www.wsifranchise.com/blog/flexible-work-arrangements-can-it-make-women-more-productive?), while over half of companies offering flexibility report increased profits (SHRM –https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/news/technology/study-profits-rise-flexible-work?). Moreover, failing to accommodate reproductive health costs economies billions—Australia alone loses $26.55 billion annually due to absenteeism and productivity losses related to period pain, endometriosis, IVF, menopause, and related conditions (The Guardian – https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/jan/13/reproductive-leave-study-australian-workers-period-pain-endometriosis-ivf-menopause-vasectomy? ).
According to a 2015 report by the McKinsey Global Institute, if women participated in the workforce at the same level as men, the global economy could have added $28 trillion in annual GDP by 2025. Part of this can be attributed to the untapped potential of women who are locked out of paid work by the disproportionate burden of unpaid domestic duties.
In short, creating a biologically aligned work structure isn’t just good for women—it’s a strategic investment with measurable financial returns. This isn’t just an idea—it’s a possibility. A future where women don’t have to choose between their health and their careers. A workplace that doesn’t just allow flexibility but actively supports their well-being. So, what do you think? How should the future of work be shaped for women?
Some Call-Outs to Expected Responses
To those Women Who Think This Is Regressive: Being the only woman at the table is so 1900s. Get over yourself. The goal isn’t to prove individual toughness but to fix an outdated system so that future generations don’t have to struggle the same way.
To Those Who Think I’m Placing the Onus on Women Instead of the System: I partially agree. Ideally, systemic changes should take full responsibility for creating balance. But let’s take one step forward first and go from there. If you have a better idea, I’d love to hear it. And I honestly believe that if we have the capacity to power through during the Follicular and it lets us work for fewer hours during the Luteal days, it’s a good bargain for now.
To Those Who Think This Conversation Isn’t Necessary: Please skip to a more important article, and leave this one for us who care.
A Final Thought
Talking about systemic change to support women in this era? When women’s basic rights are being taken away around the world? When companies are stripping their diversity policies instead of strengthening them? I must be delusional. But a good business person —will see that this isn’t just a “nice thing to do.” It’s beneficial for the economy, retention, and long-term growth. It’s really just about the math (and science).
