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Brilio.net/en - Periods arent fun. Half of the worlds population will know the pain that comes from cramps, that scientist have even likened to almost as bad as a heart attack.
But its not something we talk about, now is it? Admitting youre unable to focus on work because of your menstrual pain is awkward at best, and socially unacceptable at worst.
But some countries and companies have stepped up to the plate and are offering period leave. In fact Japan has had the policy in place for the more than 70 years, and companies like Nike offer women monthly menstrual leave and British company Coexist announced last week that it would offer their employees with uteruses menstrual days.
But what would happen if we applied that concept globally? Would the stock market crash? Or would women in the workplace regress to the weaker sex? Dr. Hyun-Jung Lee, professor of employment relations and organizational behavior at the London School of Economics and Political Science weighs in on the topic.
According to her, some countries need it more than others. In her native South Korea, women are offered one day off for their periods in a month but she doesnt believe all countries need it. For example, the United Kingdom is far more relaxed in terms of sick days than South Korea. She even believes that giving your staff indefinite sick days would have an overall positive benefit on the staff. Netflix, for example, lets their employees take as many sick days as they deem necessary which is a sign for the company that it views its employees as more than just money making machines, but even humans, thereby encouraging more responsible behaviour.
The main argument for period days is productivity. While some days require you to be there, fact of the matter is that the pain could be so debilitating that it would actually decrease productivity. It is also a pain that can be contagious. If you are suffering, you are not really functioning, and people can see that you are not working, which can have a negative effect the morale of other employees, she told VICE.
Its a difficult policy to implement, especially when women are still competing with the men in the workforce. Its a revolutionary idea but one that is already slowly but surely budding.
(brl/tis)
