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

[sarahighseas]

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?

Badlad - ummm, why is it menstrual leave if it is just part of the normal leave? The point that your quote makes is that it doesn't have to be paid leave.

Most Japanese companies provide no specific sick leave, they give a number of days of annual leave that employees can use for whatever reason they wish. If an employee is sick, they take a day's paid vacation, and they have one day fewer to use for going on holiday etc.

I am reading the part I quoted as saying that employees can request to take a day of this leave if their period is unbearable. Perhaps they are obliged to treat it as a sick day, meaning that, if they are understaffed , they can't refuse to grant it as a day of leave in the way they could refuse a day off requested to go on a trip.

I can't see where it says that extra leave days are available for painful periods.

I could be reading it wrong, of course.

I remember being in labour and waiting for the pain to get worse than bad period pains. I was still waiting when I started to push.

Haha! I remember my Obstetrician coming and asking how I was coping with the pain. I told him I used to have endometriosis so I was used to it!

Still nothing from mums net on starting this campaign :(

They probably think it's as ridiculous as most of the posters on this thread do.

A campaign for all workplaces to have a decent amount of paid sick leave for women who have periods, men, women who don't have periods, EVERYONE.

That might be a good campaign.

"Period days"? No.

YABU.

Everyone should be entitled to sick leave when necessary.

Sorry if you've been through all this but have you tried TENS, ibuprofen and paracetamol (don't wait, as soon as the pain begins)?

I suffer heavy periods. We've tried a number of options. But I still go to work in a nursery and do the best I can with plenty painkillers and regular toilet trips.

Shouldhavesaid you can be disciplined for sick days, genuine or not.

There's not likely to be anything from MN, as the vast majority of respondents have pointed out it would be ridiculous!

OP, did you really expect mumsnet to start a campaign about period days? Especially after seeing all the opposition to the idea on this thread?

I had to take the morning off today because I was continually flooding and I fainted.
I've had my periods investigated and have been told that it's my age. I was hospitalised on my grandmother's 80th birthday, 12 years ago after a similar episode.
So it's been my age for 12 years at least .
Not all women have the same problems with periods, but please don't accuse those who have as being somehow soft and against the advancement of women in the workplace.

People haven't been saying that. They have been saying that women who have periods which are exceptionally painful or heavy have a genuine medical condition, and that all workplaces should provide appropriate sick leave for people with chronic health problems such as asthma, arthritis or severe period pain. However allowing every menstruating woman period days makes as much sense as allowing 5 days a year of asthma leave to everyone with lungs.

Sorry.... in pain, miserable and over defensive!

Pulling a sickie isn't theft, no more so than being required to work unpaid overtime anyway. I've never pulled a sickie btw in my 20 odd years working.

That said....I've never had a job with only 3 days paid sick leave. I think where employers are that tight and if you have to have a week off for flu they don't pay for all of it. .... That people are entitled to use it how they see fit. It's easy to be judgmental if like me you get 6 months. 3 days, employees will see that very differently. Some mnetters are just so pious it amazes me.

But op yabu sorry but your employer is shit I'd try and find a better one.

Employers will do the bare minimum, that's why government should support working women more

TobysMum - "Pulling a sickie" if one is not genuinely sick is definitely exactly the same as theft! That person is effectively taking a paid day off work, fraudulently, and causing inconvenience to the employer.
Genuine sickness is one thing, but taking the odd day off on a whim is another entirely.

government should support working women more

You have not been listening.

People with health conditions of all sorts should get better support.

Poor sick leave provision is not an issue that is restricted to women-who-menstruate.

Limiting it in that fashion shows a stunning lack of understanding that different people have different situations.

Are you fit and healthy? A healthy weight? Sometimes this can have an effect on how painful your periods are.

I agree with the point that a lot of employers will just do the bare minimum.

But if you want more support from the government, it'd make more sense to try and start a campaign increasing entitlement to and number of sick days generally, so that all women (and men) who may need to take more than 3 days paid sick leave, for whatever reason, get more support.

Some employers will do the bare minimum, which is why there are employment laws. But if an employer only gives 3 days sick leave, it's not just menstruating women who will suffer. The issue is not women, it's the employer's general attitude to sick leave.

Oh and I agree that sick pay should be available to anyone, not just menstruating women and I think a more reasonable campaign and one I would support would be for the removal of vat on sanitary products

Employers will do the bare minimum, that's why government should support working women more

SaraHighSeas - that is a rather sweeping generalisation. I did ask much further upthread in which country you worked, but I haven't yet located the answer to that question.

My DP and I are employers - very small business, run from home. We are excellent employers (according to us and our one employee). We look after him (and his wife, who has suffered from ill-health, in recent years). So just from personal experience, we are not employers doing the bare minimum, and I know for a fact we are not alone!

I really do not understand why you think women should be receiving preferential treatment. This would do absolutely nothing to induce employers to employ women, for goodness' sake - can you not see that? This kind of attitude would put us back into the middle ages. (And I speak as someone who suffered most dreadfully with bad periods throughout my adult life).

no it isnt the same as theft, and not either in law or morally.
A person who has 20 days annual leave plus bank holidays. They are allowed 3 days sick pay. Therefore if they have a week off with flu and need paying they have to use paid holiday. On no level can you blame then for pulling a sickie if the next year they are not ill at all to get the time back. According to you they have surely also had holiday 'stolen'?

me I have 30 days annual leave and 6 months sick pay. Now that's different, pulling a sickie is morally wrong in that situation.

You can't judge people on shitty contacts is my opinion.

Having read the OP and then 'her' follow-up posts I have to say my 'bullshit/wind-up' klaxon is going off.

The reason MN are not commenting on starting a campaign is laid out throughout this thread for you OP. No one agrees with you. No one is backing you up saying 'yes, what a great idea!'.

You're embarrassing yourself.