Period leave for women in workplace

Whosoever has ever worked in a group that has women of at least 1:1 ratio knows what the ‘red devil shit’ does to a lady’s mind and body. Basically, most of them don’t appreciate the idea of sick leave-until and unless they feel its a basic requirement during their periods.

A UK based company, Coexist seems to have put forward a ‘period leave’ policy with the plan to work in order with women’s monthly cycle.

To this, some of the male colleagues have this feeling that if such rules come in action it is just a way to portray them as weak sex, while to some others, there seems no sexism.

The company’s main idea is on developing a health-friendly environment, where women are able to concentrate on their work without any sort of suffering. According to a report by The Independent, Bex Baxter, a director at Coexist said that he, as a manager of staff, has seen women really suffer due to periods and has found them in a lot of pain. The ladies seem to feel ashamed for taking leaves but tend to sit at their desks in silence without affirming to it. He said that started from there itself and the officials thought about it and did whatever they could in order to break the last great taboo. He supposedly believes that nothing of that huge sort had been done in the UK so far.

The ‘period leave’ thingy has been existing for decades now. Here are some of the countries where it does exist – fully and partially.

Japan:

Japan has had this policy just after World War II. According to the 1947 Labor Standards Law, women those who suffered from hurtful period pains or those whose jobs might increase period pain are permitted seirikyuuka (meaning ‘physiological leave’).

Indonesia:

Indonesian women are allowed to take a 2-days leave but many companies simply ignore the law.

Russia:

The idea of menstrual leave for women was raised up in Russia as well, in 2013, but to no avail.

South Korea:

Women laborers in South Korea were given menstrual leave in 2001, though a plan to extend the policy to the universities’ female students was a failure The policy has been lately opposed by activists of Korea’s men’s rights, who, in spite of Korea’s highly male-dominated work forum, see it as discrimination.

What about India?

Instagram Account: sonalid3

Reportedly, a small Mumbai based company, ‘Shri Lakshmi Steel Industries’ has been granting fully-paid ‘leaves’ to its lady employees since 2010. According to various media reports, the reason seems to be both medical and religious.

Presently, there is just one woman employee working in this company. But in the past, 6 of its’ employees were given fully-paid ‘menstrual leave’.

Supporting this ideology, Dr Sonal Kumta, a Gynecologist of Fortis Hospital, Mulund says that some women truly have high rate of menstrual bleeding and cramping, making it truly difficult for them to carry on with their daily chores. In this case, companies and corporate sectors may probably introduce some sort of flexibility for women such as giving them the choice to work from their home itself by adjusting their holidays to menstrual days or by allowing them to work as compensation on weekends, in order to develop a sans-stress surrounding at workplace.