Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

Original poster

To call in sick to work because I'm on my period?

19 replies

callinsick · 29/05/2021 18:10

I have quite bad periods. I'm on prescription-strength pain killers which do help but even aside from the pain I feel nauseous with a dodgy tummy, light headed and weak.

I'm due to work a 12 hour night shift tonight and I'm dreading it. I can't just pop to the loo it's a whole mission of getting someone to cover me and going down two flights of stairs to get to my bag and then the toilets. I need to ask to pop out at odd times to eat so I can take my medication. Plus I just feel ill. I know my male manager will ask what medication and why I keep popping out and I don't feel comfortable disclosing this all to him.

I most likely will try and push through it and go to work, but WIBU to phone in sick or ask to go home early due to being on my period?

OP posts:

Waveafterwaveslowlydrifting · 29/05/2021 18:13

Sorry you are going through this
Can you talk to your manager and agree a health care plan? Surely you are entitled to this under equalities act.

StellaLeonte · 29/05/2021 18:15

Could you just say your experiencing gynae problems and are on very strong meds so need to phone in sick? I feel for you, hope you feel better soon.

DoTheNextRightThing · 29/05/2021 18:16

Defo phone in sick. If you're unwell, you're unwell. Doesn't matter what the cause is.

Maria53 · 29/05/2021 18:18

Yes take day off and feel better. My symptoms are similar to yours with blinding pain and I'm being investigated for endo.

Dreading back to office 5 days a week as I've been able to work from the couch during my worst months. If men had this issue every month...

year5teacher · 29/05/2021 18:21

YANBU. At all. Don’t push through it; you won’t be much use if you’re having to get people to cover you frequently! It’s better to just have someone cover the whole shift. I would phone in and rest.

Nimo12 · 29/05/2021 18:23

Ugh sound awful :( yes call in sick, rest up try and get comfortable in PJ's on the couch and watch a movie. Mine were terrible until I started taking the mini pill. I had no shame in telling my male manager at the time what the problem was though because honestly it's nature and he was obviously embarrassed and never asked again.

Thehawki · 29/05/2021 18:23

If you’re sick and need regular access to the toilet and work can’t give it, then you should take time off. Forget the notion that women should work through! You’re sick. A man would never work through this.

Squiginawig · 29/05/2021 18:24

One of my team members suffers like this, and we have a long-standing (ie pre-COVID) arrangement that on days that she is really suffering she works from home. I appreciate that we are lucky to be able to agree this (to be it is a reasonable adjustment), as the job can be done from home, and that not all jobs are suitable for home working. If my team member was not able to work from home there is no way she would be able to work through her worst days. You need to do what is best for you.

OwlinaTree · 29/05/2021 18:25

I know this is not very feminist, but my boss gets really embarrassed if anyone has 'woman's problems' and gets all flustered 'yes whatever you need' etc.

If you are honest and say you need breaks at x times due to heavy bleeding etc is he likely to say 'yes whatever you need'. rather than you being more discreet about the issue!

Original poster

callinsick · 29/05/2021 18:28

Thank you for all the supportive comments, I expected to be told to get a grip.

I feel really uncomfortable sharing this with my manager. He's in his late 50s and is quite old fashioned and has quite out-dated views.

This won't be a monthly occurrence as by chance it is quite unlikely that I'm on the first 1-2 days of my period whilst at work. After the first 2 days I'm fine. However, I know I will feel just as awful tomorrow night which would mean calling in sick for two days. I'm not sure whether to go to work and push through as long as I can and then ask to go home as I feel like that will be better than having two full shifts off?

OP posts:

standupsitdownturnaround · 29/05/2021 18:29

Definitely take it off, particularly if you need strong pain meds. Agree with pp that 'gynae issue' probably sounds stronger than period which is often dismissed as a minor thing. Unfortunately, for some people it's major.

Sorry you've got to stress about it.

Moonshine11 · 29/05/2021 18:31

You get no thanks for going in unwell.
Stay off and try work something out with your manager for future.

Newkitchen123 · 29/05/2021 18:34

I wouldn't hesitate in your position

StellaLeonte · 29/05/2021 18:43

@callinsick

Thank you for all the supportive comments, I expected to be told to get a grip.

I feel really uncomfortable sharing this with my manager. He's in his late 50s and is quite old fashioned and has quite out-dated views.

If you’re ill tomorrow, phone in sick too. Don’t try and push through - there’s no medal for it and you should look after your body, it’s trying to get better my love x

kindofcoping · 29/05/2021 18:44

As a one-off fine. But if this is an issue every month you need to talk to your boss about a plan of how to work with this.

newnortherner111 · 29/05/2021 18:52

Understand not working tonight, but two days off sick each month or let's say 20 days per year will not go down well even if you had an enlightened manager.

I think at some point you will have to speak either to your manager or someone else such as HR within your company. Sorry to read you have a dinosaur manager it seems. Reasonable adjustments to me would include wfh if it is possible, but also strange as it may sound, if there is a shift rota, being on a different place on it may help.

Duchess379 · 29/05/2021 19:00

Have you ever had an ultrasound to discover why your periods are so bad? The only reason I ask is because I too worked shifts & my periods crippled me. And they were infrequent. I got so annoyed I demanded a hysterectomy (I have several other long term illnesses that I'm also juggling) I finally got my way at 38yrs in which they discovered my womb was infested with growths, which answered why I was in so much pain. Worth asking to be referred to a gynaecologist.

Moondust001 · 29/05/2021 19:01

@kindofcoping

As a one-off fine. But if this is an issue every month you need to talk to your boss about a plan of how to work with this.

If its a regular occurrence then it's not the boss that needs to be spoken to. It's the GP. As a regular occurrence this is not "right" and an explanation needs to be found and dealt with. If this is 1 or 2 data every month, we are talking polyps, endometriosis, adenomyosis or something. Prescription strength painkillers shouldn't be necessary on a regular basis, are not good for you on a regular basis, and are lazy medicine that treats the symptoms and not the condition.

CoffeeCakey · 29/05/2021 19:01

You might find as soon as you say gynae issue he will be too embarrassed and not press any further. L

Flip