Swallowed by a Black Hole’: The Neglected Impact of Endometriosis in the Workplace

Abstract

This study examines how endometriosis, as a chronic and cyclical condition, is experienced and managed in contemporary workplaces, and what this reveals about the limits of existing human resource management (HRM) frameworks. Drawing on Feminist Disability Theory (FDT), we conceptualise endometriosis as a form of structurally produced disadvantage shaped by organisational norms of continuous, able-bodied productivity. The study is based on qualitative data from in-depth interviews (n = 26) and a focus group (n = 7) with employees diagnosed with endometriosis, complemented by open-ended survey responses from HR professionals and managers (n = 80) used as contextual insight. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Findings identify six interrelated themes that show how workplace practices render endometriosis both invisible and consequential. Extending FDT, we theorise these patterns as systemic neglect, specifying the organisational mechanisms through which marginalisation is enacted, including rigid absence systems, performance-based objectification, and cultures of silence around reproductive health. We further introduce the concept of physiodiversity, reframing chronic and cyclical physiological variation as a legitimate dimension of workforce diversity. The study contributes to HRM scholarship by specifying how able-bodied norms are operationalised in practice and by offering a conceptual foundation for more inclusive approaches to managing chronic health conditions at work.