New Company Policy Idea: Allowing Men to come late on the days they have to shave!

Well, it’s a serious thought. Some men really struggle with the speed in which their beard grows. Some men almost have to shave daily, sometimes because of their work profile needing them to look clean shaved all the time.

You think it’s a ridiculous idea? There’s more.

Can we have a policy for religious employees to avail more leaves? Do you not think people who stay farther from office should get a leeway to turn up late everyday? Should people from lower income groups be given higher priority in appraisals?

All these questions have been popping up on my mind ever since I got to know about an office policy which allows women to avail leaves on the first day of their periods. Whilst, I am not wanting to trivialize the issue and I understand that every woman has a different menstruation – some much worse than others, to my mind, it is extremely unfair to the entire workplace.

People join my team, my workplace or any other workplace – with a single expectation in their mind – that the workplace should give a fair and equal treatment to everyone working in the company. This treatment should be regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation, economic background and any other medical condition. This is the reason why every employee is entitled to an equal number of leaves and equal number of holidays, only so that whatever their state is – physically, mentally or sometimes even emotionally – they have leeway to take a break based on their preference. Equally.

While I do understand that we must work towards women not having to cover up their periods pain under the garb of a “fever” or “headache” to take leaves and companies must fully accept periods pain as a very valid reason for taking a leave or more, I do not understand how allowing them to take a leave (over and above their regular leaves) will empower them.

If we really want to empower women, we need to have the heart and soul to understand them and organize for facilities which make them stronger. Can we have hot water bottles readily available in offices? Can we have resting rooms in office, where any employee who’s not feeling well can rest? Can we have a crèche in office so working moms do not have to worry about their children at home?

We, as organizations, really need to strengthen our workforce. We have the responsibility of making every employee into a strong individual who continues to grow and outperform despite their physical or emotional limitations. We need to facilitate their growth and development. And certainly allowing them to escape an extra work day is not the way out.