Free tampons, pads now mandatory in federally regulated offices in Canada
It is now law to provide free menstrual products, such as tampons and sanitary pads, in bathrooms at all federally regulated workplaces in Canada.
Employers were previously required by law to provide essential sanitation products like toilet paper and soap, but starting December 15, they must ensure menstrual products are available to their employees.
“These products must be readily available in all toilet rooms in workplaces controlled by the employer,” said Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) in a press release.
This means all bathrooms at a workplace, regardless of how they’re gender-marked, must have these products at the employees’ disposal. The rule also applies to military bases as they fall in the federal-regulated workplaces category.
“Unrestricted access to menstrual products better protects menstruating employees and makes sure that they feel safe to use the toilet room that best reflects their gender,” ESDC said.
Employers must also ensure a covered container is present to dispose of the products. If there’s one toilet, one container is acceptable. But if there are multiple toilets in stalls, each stall should have a container.
The move aims to reduce the medical and psychological effects of people reusing products, using them longer than they should, or skipping using them entirely.
For situations where it may not always be possible to have menstrual products available in all toilet rooms, the ESDC shared the following solutions:
In May, the ESDC initially shared the plan to make free tampons and pads available across federally regulated workplaces in Canada, marking a significant change to the Canada Labour Code.
At 1 pm ET on Friday, Minister of Labour Seamus O’Regan Jr. and Member of the House of Commons Carolyn Bennett are expected to meet workers at Toronto’s Billy Bishop Airport to mark the first day of these new requirements.
Follow Channels and Categories