First Bus becomes Period Positive Workplace

First Bus has officially become a Period Positive Workplace, supplying free period products to its colleagues.

The milestone is part of the operator’s push to improve gender equality across its business. The initiative is also part of a wider strategy to attract more women than ever before to First Bus, as it aims to diversify its workforce and become more reflective of the communities it serves.

First Bus is exclusively using period products by Hey Girls, a social enterprise that donates 100% of its profits to funding the fight to eradicate period poverty. For every product it sells, it will donate a product to people who need them.

In the UK alone, 2.8 million people struggle to afford period products, with 1.4 million people going without period products altogether. By becoming a Period Positive Workplace and providing these essential products, employers can help alleviate the financial burden on their employees and play their part in tackling period poverty.

“We are making big strides in First Bus to welcome more women into the organisation and achieve our ambitious gender  goals” – Gareth Hind, Director of Colleague Experience and Relations

Gareth Hind, Director of Colleague Experience and Relations, said: “At a recent roundtable, I was horrified to be presented with the statistics above.

“We immediately set about considering what we could do to support women in our organisation who may be making these tough choices about period products. Within a month, I am delighted to say we have free period products across First Bus, and in doing so, make the commitment to being a Period Positive Workplace.

“No one should go without period products, and by partnering with Hey Girls, we are doing our part to overcome period poverty in society too. We are making big strides in First Bus to welcome more women into the organisation and achieve our ambitious gender goals.”

“First Bus has demonstrated that when their employees come to work, they can trust that their menstrual health needs will be supported” – Jess Strait, Global Advocacy & Data Systems Manager at Days for Girls International (Leader of the Period Positive Workplace Coalition)

Jess Strait, Global Advocacy & Data Systems Manager at Days for Girls International (Leader of the Period Positive Workplace Coalition), said: “Becoming a Period Positive Workplace is a simple, tangible step towards creating a more gender-inclusive world, where periods don’t hold anyone back from succeeding at work. First Bus has demonstrated that when their employees come to work, they can trust that their menstrual health needs will be supported.”

“By having our products at 65 sites across the UK and Ireland, First Bus is generating donations with every purchase through our partner Lyreco” – Ailsa Colquhoun, Partnerships & Contracts Manager at Hey Girls

Ailsa Colquhoun, Partnerships & Contracts Manager at Hey Girls, said: “We are delighted to collaborate with First Bus on their mission to promote gender equality and inclusivity. By having our products at 65 sites across the UK and Ireland, First Bus is generating donations with every purchase through our partner Lyreco. To date, Hey Girls have donated over 38.5 million boxes of period products and First Bus has directly contributed to this staggering milestone.”

First Bus has also recently pledged to double the number of women in its business by 2027.