ISO 45010:2026 · Menstruation and menopause in the workplace
ISO 45010: a free guide for the workplace
«Kroppen følger med» (The body keeps up) is an illustrated, practical guide to menstruation, menopause and workplaces that are prepared — with reference to ISO 45010:2026. It is free and needs no account. The full guide is in Norwegian.
The whole guide is open. No account needed.
By Nicolai Bjerknes Slinning · Published edition, revision 10 · 11 September 2026 · 49 pages
What is ISO 45010?
ISO 45010:2026 is an international standard with guidance on menstruation and menopause in the workplace. It was published on 7 September 2026 and applies to organisations of any size and in any sector.
The standard gives guidance, not requirements, and cannot be used for certification. It covers working conditions, organisation, culture, privacy and follow-up — and says that nobody should be forced to disclose menstruation or menopause.
In the EU and EEA, information about menstruation or menopause can be health data, a special category under Article 9 of the GDPR. The guide shows how a workplace can make arrangements available without anyone having to explain themselves.
ISO 45010 can be read free of charge at ISO. This guide is Sydera's practical companion: concrete workplace situations, illustrations and tools.
The guide: Kroppen følger med
Most days at work are ordinary. Some days are not — and then the arrangements around you decide how much you have to explain before anything gets easier.
A workplace that is prepared has decided something in advance: what is available, where it is, and who answers when it does not work. That way nobody has to turn a private need into an application.
The guide covers temperature, breaks, toilet facilities, products, information and how an arrangement can be followed up — with worksheets you can use in a meeting you already have.
The guide and its page titles are in Norwegian.
Tools for your next meeting
Worksheets, checklists and templates from the guide (in Norwegian). Fill them in online, print them or copy the text. Nothing is stored.
- Fra «vi burde» til «det fungerer».
Velg ett forhold dere vil forbedre. Ta runden med ansatte eller verneombudet. Beskriv ordninger og roller, uten navn eller andre personopplysninger. …
- Hvem gjør hva på mandag?
Bruk HMS-systemet dere har. Avtal ansvar, tid og budsjett.
- Gå en runde. Finn det som stopper opp.
Se på et faktisk arbeidssted og skift sammen med ansatte eller verneombud. Vurder både fysiske forhold, tempo, kontroll over pauser og støtte. Dette er …
- Spør om arbeidsplassen. Og gjør noe med svaret.
Inviter folk fra ulike oppgaver og arbeidstider. Medvirkning er mer enn å sende et skjema. Del hva dere lærte, hva dere bestemte og hva som gjenstår.
- En kort vei gjennom personvernspørsmålene.
Et notat om funksjon kan også inneholde helseopplysninger. Behandling av helseopplysninger krever både grunnlag etter artikkel 6 og et relevant unntak …
- Før dere velger kurv, dispenser eller skap.
Bruk samme spørsmål til alle leverandører. En enkel løsning kan være helt riktig. Flere funksjoner må gi en nytte dere faktisk trenger.
- Virker det? Vis hva dere har fulgt opp.
Velg noen få forhold dere kan handle på. Avtal når dere ser på dem, og hva som utløser en endring.
- Hvem har ansvaret? Og hva slags regel er dette?
Verneombudet ivaretar arbeidsmiljøinteresser. Tillitsvalgte kan bistå medlemmer i arbeidsforhold. BHT gir arbeidshelsefaglig bistand. Helsepersonell …
- Du trenger ikke begynne med blankt ark.
ISO 45010 inneholder praktiske verktøy. Her er noen steder å begynne i den publiserte 2026-utgaven.
- Ord som gjør jobben enklere.
«Naturlig betyr at man må tåle det.» Naturlige prosesser kan gi plager som trenger støtte eller helsehjelp.
A place to start: A better working day. No explanation attached.
Build in options that more people can benefit from. Talk with employees about working conditions without asking them to explain their private health.
Air, light and temperature
Look at ventilation, shading and options for local adjustments. Where safe, a cooler spot or a fan may be an option. One setting will not necessarily suit everyone.
Water, toilets and breaks
Make drinking water, toilets and breaks accessible even when work is busy. Arrange cover where someone needs to remain at a station, counter or process.
Clothing, changing and equipment
Consider suitable clothing, sizes and a discreet place to change. Changes to protective equipment must still provide the protection needed.
Quiet and work organisation
Look at noise, meeting length and options for varying tasks. A quieter place or more flexibility may help where the work allows it.
Can people actually take their breaks? Is the toilet accessible? Are ventilation faults followed up? Ask whether the arrangement works, without turning the check into a register of who has symptoms.
Some people need more individual support. Keep a confidential route to a manager or occupational health service, with clear handling of information. General measures should make help easier to obtain, not close that door.
Adapted from page 23 of the Norwegian revision 10. These are our examples; measures must suit the work and its risks.
Agree one action using the worksheet (Norwegian)For small and large workplaces
In a small business, the managing director is often also responsible for HR, health and safety and privacy. In a large organisation, the roles are spread across several people. The task is the same: decide what should be available, who is responsible, and how you notice when it does not work.
The standard has its own section on small and medium-sized organisations. The guide shows both the short route and how the work can be divided in a larger organisation.
Three questions that carry the whole work
- 1Can the need be met before anyone has to explain themselves?
- 2Who makes sure the arrangement works?
- 3How do we notice when it fails?
About the editor
Nicolai Bjerknes Slinning is the originator and subject editor of Kroppen følger med. He works with workplace health, universal design and systems design at STÖ Group and Sydera.
He took part as a Norwegian expert in ISO/TC 283/WG 10, the working group that developed ISO 45010:2026. He also takes part as a Norwegian expert in ISO/TC 283/WG 6, which is working on the revision of ISO 45001, and is a member of Standards Norway's committee SN/K 551 on occupational health and safety management systems.
The guide is Sydera's own practical guidance and is not published or endorsed by ISO or Standards Norway.
Sydera is part of STÖ Group, which has commercial interests in products for menstruation and pain relief. Sydera also offers HSE Scan.
Questions and answers
What is ISO 45010?
ISO 45010:2026 is an international standard with guidance on menstruation and menopause in the workplace. It was published on 7 September 2026 and applies to organisations of any size.
Is ISO 45010 free?
The standard can be read free of charge on ISO's website. Downloadable and printed editions are sold. The guide «Kroppen følger med» is free, both online and as a PDF.
Can we be certified against ISO 45010?
No. ISO 45010 is guidance, not a requirements standard, and cannot be used for certification. It can be used together with a management system based on ISO 45001.
Does ISO 45010 apply to small organisations?
Yes. The standard applies to organisations of any size and has its own section on small and medium-sized organisations.
Do we need to collect health data to use ISO 45010?
No. The standard says that nobody should be forced to disclose menstruation or menopause, and that such information can be health data. In the EU and EEA, health data is a special category under Article 9 of the GDPR. The guide shows how to make arrangements available without anyone having to explain themselves.
How does ISO 45010 relate to ISO 45001?
ISO 45010 builds on ISO 45001, the standard for occupational health and safety management systems, and shows the connection in an annex. It does not replace national law.
Is the guide endorsed by ISO?
No. «Kroppen følger med» is Sydera's own practical guidance. It is not published or endorsed by ISO or Standards Norway.
Is the guide available in English?
The full guide is in Norwegian. This page summarises the approach in English.
A guide we keep developing
We review and update the content when relevant standards, evidence and rules change. Each edition shows its revision date, sources, and which countries and topics it covers.
The guide is general support for an organisation's own work. It does not replace your own risk assessments, assessment of local conditions and applicable rules, or specific legal advice. It gives no guarantee of legal compliance.
Want to look at your own routines?
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Do not include health data or other personal data in the document.
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