As of September 1, 2026, Manitoba employers have a new workplace requirement: menstrual products must be available to workers at no cost.

Under amendments to Manitoba’s Workplace Safety and Health Regulation, employers must provide clean, hygienic tampons and menstrual pads in workplace washrooms. If providing products in every washroom isn’t reasonably practicable, they can be provided in another workplace location that is accessible to workers at all times and offers a reasonable amount of privacy.

The requirement itself is straightforward. The bigger question for many employers is: what does a good workplace period-care program actually look like?

Here’s what Manitoba employers need to know.

What does Manitoba require?

As of September 1, employers must provide menstrual products at no cost, including:

• Menstrual pads
• Tampons

Products should be available in washrooms used by workers, regardless of whether the washroom is designated for men, women, or is gender-neutral. If it isn't reasonably practicable to provide products in each toilet facility, they can be made available somewhere else in the workplace, as long as workers can access them at all times and have a reasonable amount of privacy. Workers should not have to ask someone for a product.

Employers must also provide a covered disposal container near each toilet.

The basic idea is simple: if someone gets their period at work, they should be able to get the product they need without having to leave the workplace, ask a coworker or make it a bigger deal than it needs to be.

Do workplaces need a menstrual-product dispenser?

No.

The regulation does not require employers to use a specific dispenser or dispensing system. Employers can choose the storage and dispensing method that works best for their workplace.

That said, how products are provided can make a difference.

A well-placed dispenser or clearly designated supply area can make products easier to find, keep the space organized and make replenishment simpler for facilities teams.

The goal isn't to hide period products in a supply closet. It's to make them easy to access when someone actually needs them.

How much product should an employer provide?

There isn't a specific number of pads or tampons that every workplace needs to keep on hand.

The requirement is that a supply must always be available and be refilled as frequently as necessary to ensure products are there when workers need them.

In practice, that means employers should have a simple replenishment system in place.

For example:

• Assign someone to monitor product levels
• Set a regular replenishment schedule
• Keep backup inventory on-site
• Decide who is responsible for reordering
• Make sure there is a clear process when supplies run low

The right setup will depend on the size and layout of the workplace.

The important part is that someone should be responsible for making sure the supply doesn't quietly run out.

Which products do workplaces need to provide?

At minimum, employers need to provide:

• One type of menstrual pad
• One type of tampon

Manitoba's guidance confirms that employers do not need to provide multiple sizes or types. They can choose to offer additional options, but that isn't required by the regulation.

This is where compliance and employee experience can start to look a little different.

The regulation sets the baseline. Employers can decide what they want to provide beyond that baseline.

Who should manage the program?

The regulation doesn't prescribe which department or person should own workplace period care.

Depending on the organization, it could sit with:

• HR or People & Culture: employee experience and workplace policies
• Facilities: washroom placement, inventory and replenishment
• Procurement: purchasing and supplier relationships
• Workplace Experience or Office Management: day-to-day supplies

The most important thing is simply having clear ownership.

Someone should know where the products are, how inventory is being monitored, who reorders them and what happens when supplies run low.

A simple implementation checklist

Before setting up your workplace period-care program, answer these questions:

• How many Manitoba workplace locations do you have?
• How many washrooms are at each location?
• How many workers are at each location?
• Where will products be placed?
• Who will monitor inventory?
• Who will reorder supplies?
• How often will products be replenished?
• Where will backup inventory be stored?
• Who will manage the supplier relationship?

These aren't additional regulatory requirements. They're simply practical questions that can make implementation much easier.

Once those pieces are figured out, workplace period care doesn't have to be complicated.

Why Marlow?

We think this new requirement is a good thing.

For years, period products have been treated as something people should quietly carry around with them.

Tucked into a purse.

Hidden in a desk drawer.

Passed discreetly between coworkers.

Or, worst of all, something you have to awkwardly ask someone else for.

It doesn't have to be that way.

At Marlow, we believe period care should be treated like any other essential workplace supply: easy to find, thoughtfully chosen and available when you need it.

We're a proudly Canadian, female-founded period-care brand created by three best friends who wanted to rethink an industry that hadn't changed much in decades.

Our products are made with 100% organic cotton and are toxin-free without added mystery ingredients. Our pads are also completely plastic-free.

Our lineup includes tampons, pads and liners, with a focus on comfort, thoughtful design and more sustainable materials.

Because while the regulation determines that workplaces need to provide pads and tampons, it doesn't dictate what those products have to be like.

And we think the experience matters.

When someone reaches for a period product at work, they shouldn't have to think twice about whether it's safe, comfortable or something they're embarrassed to use.

Period care can simply be part of a well-equipped workplace and can showcase your commitment to women's health and employee experience.

From compliance to care

Manitoba's new requirement recognizes something pretty simple: periods don't stop when you walk into work.

Providing menstrual products is now part of creating a workplace that is properly equipped for the people who work there.

But employers have an opportunity to think beyond simply checking a box.

Where products are placed.
What products are provided.
How they're replenished.
How easy they are to access.

All of those details shape the experience.

At Marlow, we can help workplaces put a thoughtful period-care program in place from choosing products and determining quantities to deciding where products should live and creating an easy replenishment system.

We also offer educational workplace workshops for employee resource groups or townhalls covering topics like cycle syncing, perimenopause and creating more open conversations around women's health in the workplace.

Whether you're setting up a small office, a large workplace or multiple Manitoba locations, our goal is simple:

Make period care easy for employers and better for the people who use it.

Because workplace period care shouldn't feel like another complicated compliance task.

It should just feel normal.

Ready to get your workplace set up?

Tell us a little about your workplace including your approximate number of employees, number of washrooms and number of Manitoba locations and we'll help you figure out the rest.

We'll help you build a workplace period-care program that's easy to implement, maintain and scale.

Marlow period care, made better.

For more information, email hello@wearemarlow.com to get started.