ISO 45010 workplace standard launched

The International Organization for Standardization has published ISO 45010, a new workplace guidance standard covering menstruation, menstrual health and menopause at work. ISO’s standards database lists the document as “Occupational health and safety management — Menstruation and menopause in the workplace — Guidance,” and says it is intended to help organizations develop supportive workplace policies and practices. A PR Newswire release distributed on Sept. 7 said ISO had launched the standard that day, while BSI, the British Standards Institution, published supporting material describing it as practical global guidance for employers. ### What exactly is ISO 45010? ISO 45010 is a guidance standard rather than a law. ISO’s abstract says the document is intended to support policies and practices around menstruation, menstrual health and peri/menopause experiences of employees in the workplace. The standard sits within the occupational health and safety management family, under ISO technical committee 283. The ISO listing shows the standard had reached publication stage in 2026. (prnewswire.com) Third-party standards trackers and ISO draft pages indicated the project had moved from draft status to final publication this year, with an effective date shown as July 22, 2026, before public launch material appeared in September. ### Why is this being described as a first? PR Newswire’s Sept. 7 release described ISO 45010 as a “world-first” international standard on workplace support during menstruation and menopause. (iso.org) BSI, which said it published the guidance with ISO, also referred to it as global guidance for employers and linked it to efforts to improve productivity and reduce the loss of experienced women from the workforce. (iss.rs) Facilitate Magazine, citing Kathleen Riach of the University of Glasgow and convener of ISO/TC 283/WG 10, reported that the standard establishes a global benchmark for good practice. Riach said addressing menstruation and menopause at work is part of creating healthier, safer and more inclusive organizations. (prnewswire.com) ### What does the standard appear to ask employers to do? ISO’s abstract does not set out the full text publicly, but it says the document is meant to guide policy and practice development. That points employers toward workplace measures in areas such as health and safety management, employee support, and accommodation of symptoms that can affect work experience. BSI said employers can use the guidance to support employees through menstruation and menopause. (facilitatemagazine.com) Its statement framed the publication as a resource for organizations seeking practical steps rather than a mandatory compliance regime. ### Does this create legal obligations or reporting rules right away? (iso.org) ISO standards do not automatically create legal duties on their own. The material published by ISO and BSI describes ISO 45010 as guidance, and neither source says the standard itself imposes binding reporting requirements on employers. Any compliance costs or disclosure requirements would depend on whether regulators, governments, industry bodies, insurers or corporate procurement systems later incorporate the standard into their own frameworks. (bsigroup.com) That is an inference from how standards are typically used, not a claim made in the launch materials. ### Where can employers and policy teams find it now? ISO 45010 is listed in ISO’s online standards catalogue under standard number 64365. (iso.org) BSI published a Sept. 7 notice summarizing the release, and PR Newswire carried the launch announcement the same day. Those three sources are the clearest public starting points for employers, human resources teams and occupational health specialists reviewing the new guidance. (prnewswire.com)