The Role of Menstrual Cycle Phase in Workplace Emotion Regulation and the Moderating Effect of Workplace Climate

Abstract

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.