Companies Are Offering Paid 'Period Leave' For Employees Who Menstruate

Apr 22, 2022, 3:47 PM

Unsplash | Natracare

Let's talk about something nobody wants to discuss. I'm talking about menstruation. It can be such a pain. Am I right, ladies? Ever since I started having my period, I usually have two days when I feel the worst. It's painful to do almost anything like standing, sitting, or walking.

Needless to say, working through that can be excruciating. But the good news is that businesses are starting to recognize that menstruation can be debilitating and are instituting "period leave" in their company policies.

Wouldn't it be great to have time off work during that time of the month?

Unsplash | Clay Banks

Oh my goodness, I can't tell you how many times I have wished for that. In pretty much every job I had, I ended up working through my period, and no, it wasn't fun.

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I'm not talking about taking a week off from work.

Unsplash | Jonathan Borba

But a day or two off would have been nice. I kid you not, there are days where I can barely function, much less do actual work. So having the option to take "period leave" would help so much.

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And to have paid time off would be absolutely wonderful.

Unsplash | Arlington Research

The good news is that now companies are starting to recognize that menstruation can be painful, and women who suffer from it deserve time off. And even entire cities are making "period leave" mandatory.

One of those cities is Girona, Spain, which approved up to eight hours of monthly menstrual leave.

Phoebie from Friends saying "Well done. Bravo!"

Giphy | Friends

However, that time off needs to be made up within three months. Some companies are going a step further. Australian period underwear company, Modibodi and Canadian menstrual cup brand Diva Cup all offer paid period time off. Oh wow!

Here's more good news.

Unsplash | Jake Nackos

Adam Garcia, the owner of The Stock Dork, decided to create a paid menstrual leave policy after hearing from his female friend about how painful her periods can be. So even though this subject is often shunned, things are moving in the right direction.

However, this isn't without controversy.

Giphy | chescaleigh

When a company institutes a "period leave" policy, not all employees will be happy about it. Some men may feel left out for some reason. And even women who pretty much learned to work through the pain may feel uncomfortable about taking advantage of it.

Some argue that paid period leave makes women look weak.

Unsplash | Sharon McCutcheon

And that may discourage companies from hiring women. The other issue is the cost of implementing such a policy when in fact the cost would be minimal. Here's a simple calculation. Providing sick pay costs employers an average of 45 cents per hour which amounts to $3.60 per day.

So if a woman took just one day that really wouldn't cost the company that much.

Giphy | Identity

However, having the option to take a day or two off during this difficult time of the month could be a lifesaver for many workers. Anyone who stands on their feet all day can certainly understand this.

So what do you think of this?

Unsplash | engin akyurt

Do you think offering "period leave" is a good idea? I totally applaud this move. Having suffered many times myself, I can sympathize with any woman who has to work through menstrual pain. So I'm definitely on board with this.