Page 3 | mn should start a campaign for women to have several period days a year

sarahighseas · 2014-09-17T11:46:37+00:00

I suffer from really bad periods. My work have a policy of only paying for 3 sick days per year. I easy use more than this just with bad periods. Anyone else think women should get more sick days to allow for periods?

BitterAndOnlySlightlyTwisted · 17/09/2014 18:48

"With extended maternity leave already causing employers to think twice about employing younger women, why on earth would we campaign for something that would make us even less attractive to employers?"

^THIS^

We need equality in the work-place, not pleading for special treatment. Menstruating women are not effing invalids!

ShadowStar · 17/09/2014 18:54

I was under the impression that it's unusual and abnormal for a woman to suffer so badly with periods that she can't function normally. If this is the case for you, I think it would make much more sense to go and see your GP in case there's some underlying problem that's treatable or can at least be better managed.

Oh, and YABU.

schmee · 17/09/2014 18:55

This actually happens in Japan, Taiwan and a few other countries. I'm obviously about the only person who doesn't think this is a totally bad idea.

"With extended maternity leave already causing employers to think twice about employing younger women, why on earth would we campaign for something that would make us even less attractive to employers?"

According to that logic, should we cut maternity leave?

I don't think it's a marvellous idea either because not all women suffer from painful periods. But for those who don't, why should we struggle on with what is actually a chronic, recurring serious ailment for fear of being dismissed in the workplace.

Original poster

sarahighseas · 17/09/2014 19:23

Well my employer says if you have more than 3 days sick a year, they will have a disciplinary to review why you are going over this.

OP posts:

Alisvolatpropiis · 17/09/2014 19:25

It's mostly your stupid idea we're going over, not the 3 days sick. Which is admittedly, piss poor.

Original poster

sarahighseas · 17/09/2014 19:27

Well I don't think it's a poor idea. I don't have children, and unless I adobt I won't.

If its all about equality why don't we cut maternity leave?

OP posts:

Original poster

sarahighseas · 17/09/2014 19:35

Many forward thinking country have it

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menstrual_leave

2 days a month would be good

OP posts:

MaidOfStars · 17/09/2014 19:36

Cutting maternity leave is a stupid idea. Making parental leave available to both mums and dads, to divvy up as they see fit, is an excellent idea.

MaidOfStars · 17/09/2014 19:38

(Sorry, obviously would include mums and mums, and dads and dads in the shared parental leave!)

loaderloader · 17/09/2014 19:50

I don't support the proposal but the discussion isn't ridiculous. Isn't it a well established principle that equality isn't about being treated exactly the same?

And yes logically it seems to me that the responses here would suggest maternity leave being scrapped. The paternity discussion is a red herring about extended leave. There has to first and foremost be a period of maternity leave for mothers.

These responses are based on a very outdated notion of what women should be fighting for in the workplace.

TheBuskersDog · 17/09/2014 19:50

Can you imagine the threads on here complaining about teachers taking menstrual leave during term-time.

Bulbasaur · 17/09/2014 21:21

3 sick days a year?!

Paid sicks days, or that's how many days you can be out before they take disciplinary action?

I've used sick days on periods before, but in 5 years I've only had about 2 sick days from Aunty Flo.

Anyway, sick days are there for you to use at your discretion. Use it for a fun day, or a flu day, or even a menstrual day. That's what they're there for. But making special days just for menstruating is a bit silly.

ilovesooty · 17/09/2014 21:25

No, sick days are not there as fun days. They're there for when you're too ill to attend work.

Pipbin · 17/09/2014 22:13

Anyway, sick days are there for you to use at your discretion. Use it for a fun day, or a flu day, or even a menstrual day. That's what they're there for.

Are you for real? It's piss takers like you that mean some places only give 3 days sick leave.
Sick days are not there for 'fun days', can you imagine? 'Sorry we've had to cancel your operation/ get a supply teacher in/cancel your clinic appointment/not fit your carpets because the surgeon/teacher/doctor/carpet fitter fancied a day off".

Alisvolatpropiis · 17/09/2014 22:15

Sick days = fun days?

You're having a laugh, aren't you Bulb?

Jollyphonics · 17/09/2014 22:22

Bulb are you kidding? I'm a GP, I have full surgeries booked tomorrow, no doubt including people who are very worried about what their symptoms might be, or who have waited a couple of weeks to see me, even taken annual leave from work to see me. I can take a whole year off before I can be removed from my partnership. So shall I have the day off tomorrow? Because I really fancy a day in front of the TV.

SquirrelWearingATrilby · 17/09/2014 22:58

cheerybear

Please don't refer to "being on the blob"

It is the most disgusting way of saying it that you could have come up with.

Says an awful lot about you.

DorisIsALittleBitPartial · 17/09/2014 23:11

I think my colleagues would like it if I had time off for periods, I have such bad PMT and cramps I'm a right crabby cow

Fluffyears · 17/09/2014 23:19

I used to get horrendous duos pain that made me throw up and I once begged my mum to kill me. Dr kept giving me painkillers which didn't work cos I threw them up. The best thing they offered treatment wise at 14 was, and I quote, 'having a child will help immensely' I WAS 14 FFS! Got pill eventually which helped but have come off it ttc and do far it's been bearable but very heavy. I still have only had one day off because of it in 15 years.

Elletorrito · 17/09/2014 23:22

I reckon bad period pain and I mean proper pain could be classed as a disability. When I was younger I would literally be in tears and screaming with it. If that had continued into my working life I would not have been able to function. And if you have a disability then at least your sick days don't count against you, although if your work don't pay for sick days then that sucks.

I found first stage labour to be far less painful than my periods used to be. I wouldn't have managed to go to work through first stage labour.

Bulbasaur · 18/09/2014 04:21

Bulb are you kidding? I'm a GP, I have full surgeries booked tomorrow, no doubt including people who are very worried about what their symptoms might be, or who have waited a couple of weeks to see me, even taken annual leave from work to see me. I can take a whole year off before I can be removed from my partnership. So shall I have the day off tomorrow? Because I really fancy a day in front of the TV.

I forgot. Every single job is a life or death situation. Did it ever occur to you that not everyone is a surgeon? Honestly, you guys love to take such extreme and rare circumstances and try to make them the norm. Bless you. All of you.

I can match this game though. What if, I'm depressed and I lack motivation to get out of bed and I need a TV day? See? I can come up with abnormal circumstances to be "offended" and sanctimonious too. Also, if you challenge this, you're a disablist who doesn't think depression isn't a real illness. Check mate. I win. :)

Most jobs have a system in place to cover it if an employee calls in sick. If you aren't getting your carpet done because a guy called in sick, the company needs to rethink their policies and how they schedule.

If one sick employee can truly make a company's walls come crumbling down, it's a problem with the company. It really is. They either need to hire more people or create a better scheduling system.

I don't understand how you think being truly sick won't make everything cease to function, but faking sick will.

Surfsup1 · 18/09/2014 04:45

Many forward thinking country have it

The countries listed are not ones I would consider "forward thinking" when it comes to gender equality!

Surfsup1 · 18/09/2014 04:45

Many forward thinking country have it

The countries listed are not ones I would consider "forward thinking" when it comes to gender equality!

Bulbasaur · 18/09/2014 05:02

And yes logically it seems to me that the responses here would suggest maternity leave being scrapped. The paternity discussion is a red herring about extended leave. There has to first and foremost be a period of maternity leave for mothers.

Maternity leave in the US is scrapped here for mothers, it's rare to get paid maternity. We get our token 3 weeks (sometimes 12 depending on the state) where they'll hold the job for us and we are expected to come back to work. That's why women drop right out of the work force at about 30 over here. You get to pick career or kids, but they make it pretty hard for you to have both, unless you're alright with your children being in day care from 3 weeks on (sometimes sooner). Trust me when I tell you this is obviously not the way to go about it. They make it really damn hard for women to have kids and still stay in the workforce.

But as anecdotal evidence... When I had my baby, DH told his boss and let them know he wanted a week to be with baby. They were fine with it, didn't question it, and this is a retail level job.

Surfsup1 · 18/09/2014 05:13

Bulb taking sick leave for fun may not be a matter of life and death in most jobs, but it is surely unethical regardless of your employment?

I'm not being high-and-mighty and saying I've never "chucked a sickie", as we say here in Aus, but I would always acknowledge that it was the wrong thing to do and certainly in no way something I was entitled to do.