Menstrual Leave.

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i think they should only be allowed time off if they have an associated medical condition with their period.

I used to get pain so bad that I would vomit, not so good for trying to take pain killers and get on with it. It would be one day a month, maximum, and sometimes it would fall on a weekend. I take a pill now and don't have periods, but if I were like that in the workplace I would have no choice but to take that day (or sometimes just half day if it came on halfway through a day) off work, as not only would I be useless to my employer, I'd actually be taking up the ladies toilet for the other women in the office until my dad could drive up and pick me up.
I don't think paid leave is the answer, but I would need to be able to take that one day or half day off per month (unless the first day fell on a weekend) and have people realise that I wasn't taking the piss, that I wasn't too tired that day or fancied a day off or I was hungover, or all of the other things that are ascribed to someone who takes a lot of sick days, but it was looked at as a genuine reason for regular sick days.

After all, two of the roofers at my company both got food poisoning and were throwing up come about 10 o'clock and they were both sent home. They didn't know their food would cause that so it's not like they could have stopped it, and nobody judged them for taking most of the day off.

Reply 42

caravaggio2

Open to massive amounts of abuse.
Women, just like men are well known slackers. Throwing a sickie is modern cultural parlance for a reason.
Why on earth would an employer take on a woman. It would be bad enough if she was employed as a drone and they would lose her 3 or 4 days a month, but even worse they would be totally discouraged to promote her to a vital/key position in the organisation.
Fine if she works in a massive HR dept of some local authority but if she was a project manager in engineering with people knocking at her door all day long wanting instructions.
That said I do agree though It must be awful to be a heavy bleeder and be on during you O /A levels. I don't know how girls do as well as they do.

Reply 43

Farm_Ecology

When men get equality on paternal leave, lets talk.

Reply 44

cherryred90s

Original post by Farm_Ecology

When men get equality on paternal leave, lets talk.

How is this relevant?

Reply 45

cherryred90s

Original post by caravaggio2

It's not 'throwing a sickie'. Periods can be extremely painful, many people have stated that in this thread.
It wouldn't be for 3/4days a month. It'd be more like 1 or 2 at a push. The painful day usually only lasts on day 1 or 2 of a cycle. Not to mention that this pain can fall on days that women do not work e.g weekend, so that'd mean they wouldn't need to take any days off.
If you read the link, you'd see that one of the managers at the company said she saw some women doubled over in pain. Would you want this at your place of work? Someone in severe pain wouldn't be as productive as they could be. I think the point is that any type of severe pain should result in a leave. It appears to be that just because we experience them regularly, we should be 'used' to it, but people are forgetting that periods are natural and because of this, each cycle can vary in length and discomfort, such factors are out of our control.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 46

Squishy™

Original post by paul514

You could say the same about women having children

Posted from TSR Mobile

Not every women has a child, women also don't have babies once a month.

Reply 47

Farm_Ecology

Original post by cherryred90s

How is this relevant?

Because the law already accommodates menstrual leave via sick leave, whereas paternal leave isn't.

But yes, I recognize that you can focus on more that one issue at a time, I was commenting on my believe that paternal leave is far more of an important concern than Menstrual leave.

Reply 48

Nameless Ghoul

At least, at work when you smell a woman with a funky smell, you can be sure it comes from sweat or other contaminants, and not her vaginal discharge. I too often think to myself 'urgggh ... she is probably on her period' and the image of what that means is brought to the forefront of my mind. Not OK. Let them have a week off plz.

Reply 49

caravaggio2

Original post by cherryred90s

It's not 'throwing a sickie'
.

Not if it's genuine, but it would be a sickie for the plenty of women that have light periods or who cope perfectly well. That's my point, it would be open to abuse.
How would you police it? How would you even know that somebody is in so much pain that they had to stay off? Lots of women cope perfectly well and you are assuming that they wouldnt take advantage. Just like men, plenty of them would and the larger the organization the more so. How do they police it?

Reply 50

x-pixie-x

Take a stronger painkiller ffs.

Reply 51

LiquidGold

Ergh no. If the pain is really unbearable just take a a day off as sick pay. If you dont want to do that because your 'embarrassed' or whatever, the pain probably isnt that bad.
If this did happen it should only be for women who have been to the doctor, tried many different medications and STILL get really bad pain, then it could be medically proven by a doctor.

Reply 52

chazwomaq

Well, this is a private company so the owner can do what she wants as long it's not discriminatory. And since she says "If someone is in pain - no matter what kind - they are encouraged to go home" that seems fair enough to me.

The funny thing is, not long ago, some people opposed women in certain jobs by claiming they couldn't work properly at certain times of the month. They were roundly shouted down by the feminists. It will be interesting to see what the feminist responses are to this.

Reply 53

Kvothe the Arcane

I disagree.

It is sufficient that if there are associated medical conditions or the pain is excruciating then women be allowed to take paid sick leave. But a few days off, willy-nilly, per month is too much.

Reply 54

Duncan2012

Lets say men work 20 days in a month. Let's say women work 17 days the same month. Women are spending 15% less time at work than men. If we're aiming for pay equality then women won't mind being paid 15% less than men, will they?

Reply 55

Reue

Original post by Farm_Ecology

When men get equality on paternal leave, lets talk.

My understanding was that they now did (or close to it)?

Reply 56

Clearing and Applications Advisor

Original post by Farm_Ecology

Ummm https://www.gov.uk/paternity-pay-leave
https://www.gov.uk/shared-parental-leave-and-pay/overview

Paternity leave and shared parental leave are both already legal rights. What additional legal paternity leave areare you derailing this thread in order to get?

Reply 57

Clearing and Applications Advisor

Loads of companies have duvet days and similar policies where they treat their employees like responsible adults capable of making a decision about what is reasonable to stay motivated in their work. This seems along the same lines.

If employees take the piss in a way that affects their ability to do their job then that's a issue for management. Seems like this company seems confident that their staff and management can use this policy to keep staff happy and productive.

Reply 58

parklyfe

Original post by PQ

That's great, if it's a private company's policy. And it should apply to all employees, not just women.

Reply 59

Tiger Rag

Original post by paul514

It's absolutely outrageous!

What about women who don't have periods? Women who keep taking the pill and don't have a period? Pregnant women? Post menopausal women?

And oh yea.... Men!

Posted from TSR Mobile

The pill doesn't always stop periods. I went on the pill because I was getting migraine when I was on my period. I then had a period as normal. I then had 3 periods in 4 weeks.