Menstrual Leave - is it a good idea?

Right now in the UK there is no legal requirement to support workers who menstruate, however, companies around Europe are creating policies that offer those who menstruate 5 days leave a month. Is this a good idea?

Arguments for menstrual leave:

Shows you care for your employees?

Not only does this leave show you look after your employees, but it also creates a culture of support and encourages diversity within your organisation.

Not providing this leave can cause presenteeism.

A study published in the British Medical Journal found that more than 80% of respondents (Dutch women between the ages of 15 and 45) said they had continued to work whilst feeling unwell during their period, and were less productive as a result.*?Presenteeism is when you show up to work despite not feeling well. It can lead to a significant reduction in productivity, employee morale, mental and physical health.?

Employers also report benefits from introducing menstrual leave. Kristy Chong, the CEO of Modibodi, an Australian period-underwear company, states that trust among managers and workers has increased, employees seem more productive than before and having the benefit made the company a more attractive place to work.*

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Arguments against menstrual leave:

Some believe the benefit could lead to stigma and more inequality in the workplace against people who menstruate, since employees who menstruate would be treated differently than those who don’t. Additionally, employers are worried the leave?could be seen as infantilizing women, making some feel they cannot take it for fear of appearing incapable of doing their job. If this leave were to become a statutory right, it may increase gender bias in the recruitment process if employers think female candidates will work less than their male counterparts.

As a business owner, the best thing to do is to ask your employees what they want and if a menstruation leave policy would be a benefit to them. Another solution is to make a policy that increases leave flexibility for those with chronic illnesses (including menstruation) or encourage people to work from home if they don’t feel well but feel they are still able to work.

If you need help with your HR, such as policy creation, we offer outstanding HR outsourcing solutions. Get in touch for more information.?

*For references please see our website.