The Role of Menstrual Cycle Phase in Workplace Emotion Regulation and the Moderating Effect of Workplace Climate
Summary
Emotion regulation at work plays a vital role in employee well-being and performance; but much
less is known about how biological factors like the menstrual cycle, and especially contextual
cues like workplace climate, may influence this process especially in the workplace. Therefore,
we examined whether menstrual cycle phase (follicular; before ovulation vs. luteal; after
ovulation) and perceived workplace climate (competitive vs. collaborative) influence the use of
emotion regulation strategies (cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression). While earlier
research suggests hormonal fluctuations associated with menstrual cycle phases may affect
emotional functioning, our findings did not support a significant relationship between menstrual
cycle phase or workplace climate and emotion regulation strategies. However, we found that
background factors such as age and hormonal contraceptive use did matter: older participants
reported less expressive suppression, while those using hormonal contraceptives reported
somewhat greater use of cognitive reappraisal. This may imply that the cycle phases may have
had some effect on the use of emotion regulation strategies, but these effects might not have been
captured with the specific design we used. Our findings suggest that younger employees or those
not using hormonal contraception may benefit from targeted well-being workshops or
mindfulness training aimed at strengthening emotional resilience.