To think menstrual leave should be a thing?

[ItsTheSeasonOfTheStick]

It might just be me, but I find coming into work on my period really hard. I get awful cramps, I feel sick, I am exhausted even after sleeping a full night and I can feel myself bleeding all the time. I just find it so overwhelming and I’m in an awful mood. I’d happily work extra hours for the rest of the month to make up for it, but I genuinely find the first couple of days so hard to work through.

It’s not just the men of the world who wouldn’t hire women! Women wouldn’t hire women either.

People would totally take the piss and it would be used for long weekends and breaks. No one would want their employer tracking their menstrual cycle.

Some people forget the purpose of a workplace. You need to produce something at a competitive price (regardless of whether it is a product or an idea).

Unless the whole world introduced this simultaneously, you just wouldn’t have an employer at all, as they would be bankrupt.

I used to pass out with mine, too. You'll see my post details the severe endometriosis I've done battle with for decades.

However, this isn't a race to the bottom as to who has the worst periods. It's about equality for women in general, and we are still stuck decades behind the times. The benefit of the collective is the most important.

Of course they care about other women. That's the reason many of these respondents don't want us further disadvantaged in the workplace.

This is a nuanced conversation.
Of course, people with other debilitating conditions may also need exceptions and understanding — and we should also recognise that. Not one without the other.

For years, I lived with endometriosis and never took a day off teaching specifically for it.

What did that look like in reality?

It meant bleeding through my clothes regularly, passing clots so large that it felt like going through mild labour pains each time they came. I had to shuffle to the toilet every 45–60 minutes, always keeping spare clothes in my car boot, and sometimes needing to go home. Senior leaders eventually realised what was happening and, to help, would assign me to classrooms closest to the toilets in any year group. I also had to ask for protected breaks, because being on duty twice a week was unmanageable for someone like me.

At my worst, for years, I lived through a private nightmare — one I wouldn’t wish on anyone. I didn’t like talking about it; it was personal and embarrassing. But it wasn’t something I could completely hide. The senior leadership team knew, and they did what they could — but those who haven’t lived with that kind of pain and loss of dignity often find it easy to say, Harden up — we did it!!

It’s not just about pain; it’s about the lack of dignity and understanding that can come with living through a condition like endometriosis while trying to remain professional /reliable.

When policies or discussions about workplace adjustments come up — whether for menstrual pain, chronic illness, menopause, or neurodivergence — people often worry about fairness / exceptions.

But what my experience shows so clearly is that equity isn’t about exceptions — it’s about dignity and understanding.

I would have loved to have had some dignity — to know that understanding and compassion weren’t seen as weaknesses or special treatment, but as basic respect.

After many years, I had a hysterectomy, and it was life-changing. One of my managers, who has since become a good friend, told me years later that she used to feel so bad seeing me shuffle into work, grimacing, trying to still teach, lead, and be part of the team.

For some women, it really isn’t JUST periods. They are soldiers — showing up, performing, teaching, and giving their all while enduring something others cannot see. I didn’t take time off, but I would have loved it if there could have been some understanding and adjustments made.

Medical misogyny is real. IMO this is the problem that needs tackling first.

People aren’t “rubbishing” the idea. Some people are giving examples as to why it won’t work as a blanket rule.

the larger solution is better medical support - but we can’t change that on our own.

as much as I’m against the idea I have had horrendous experiences with menstruation so I do understand some of the symptoms.

I think it should be on a needs basis as are all medial conditions in the workplace. Then reasonable adjustments can be sought. But it needs to work for the business also. Like some of us have said - some jobs don’t have wfh options or the ability to make up hours. Some companies just can’t afford more paid leave.

OP - can you ask your GP for a letter or a more formal diagnosis? Then speak to HR and see what adjustments can be made that suits you and the business?

I agree, not a race to the bottom and I'm well aware that my experiences are nowhere near as bad as many others but the point I'm making is that some others' comments on this thread are ridiculous. It's the same internalised misogyny we see regularly - the one that always really gets me is the 'period poverty is not real because I only need to buy one packet of super light tampons per year'. I think there are very few women who are not used to just sucking it up, girding our loins and getting on with it but how far does that go? I was responding to a poster who said sucking it up is what we just have to do but I genuinely want to know how she expects someone to suck it up, as she says, when they are in that position, unconscious. It's not about attitude, it's about medical necessity. While I don't agree that menstrual leave is the way forward, the continued policy of suck it up is not a solution either.

Absolutely clueless. We are ttc and I’m having horrendous periods atm which is making it difficult to go into the office. I’d love to take the contraceptives that everyone seems to want to throw at me but I can’t.

If all people (including men) has periods I believe it would be accepted that everyone would have 2 extra days off every month to deal with it.

Periods are not a sickness but the symptoms can bloody well make you feel unwell.

Women have been gaslighted since the beginning of time over menstruation.

So even people who've never had the need to take two days off a month should have them? Can I put in for 3 days a month for migraines? I've had many a day off for them, men get them as well so I don't know why it hasn't happened already. Although one of my migraines would probably be covered by menstrual leave so I might only need two for migraines.

Poor you . This isn’t needed by the majority of women. I am able to continue life and work as normal. Perhaps discuss with your GP how you can minimise the effect of your period. It isn’t usual for them to affect you so badly

But if you are ill due to it then it is

Which is what sickness leave is for.

Or should we also have migraine leave, chronic illness leave, cancer leave, child in hospital leave?

We don't specifically have chronic illness leave etc. But if you have a recognised long term condition, you can have related sickness absences exempted from thresholds on the number of sickness absences you have in a year, and dysmenorrhoea and related conditions should be covered by that. It would be better for the employer as well. I don't want my staff fainting at work because of periods. They're not going to be productive at that point.

Which is different from a separate paid menstrual leave. I wouldn't be against having a diagnosed menstrual related condition added to exemptions but not a separate paid leave.

I lost my job because my son had cancer and I wasn't prepared to abandon him in hospital. I've also heard of people losing their jobs due to having cancer themselves.

im really surprised by how many women don’t seem to care about other women and their health issues though.

I’m really surprised by how many women do not appreciate the bias that this would cause in the hiring of women. Employers will always put another excuse forward, to get around any cries of discrimination, and it will be too hard to prove it was actually due to the period leave/accomodations. So, in a way, what you are seeing is women protecting women who want jobs.

Yes but we have periods monthly - how will sickness leave cover this?

I love that the concern you have for your staff is regarding their productivity and not their wellbeing

If they have a diagnosed condition related to their period, reasonable adjustments as with anything else.

Not unless we also introduce things such as paid migraine leave or paid chronic illness leave or paid cancer leave.

I think true equality is recognising that each sex faces unique concerns. Fortunately for men, they do not suffer from periods. They also do not have to birth children or go through the menopause. It’s not a fair playing ground in my humble opinion.

I agree that reasonable adjustments should be made for those with a diagnosable condition, but there are some cases where there isn’t one that affects periods. What about birth control or medications that can affect periods? I recently had to undergo a lot of investigations before I was diagnosed with a condition but my periods have been all over the place, volatile, heavy, prolonged way before I was able to achieve diagnosis.

Also the menopause can affect periods. My mum had to have a hysterectomy because hers became so heavy. That’s not a “diagnosis.”

There are developed nations that have this hard wired into employment law

What about other things that may keep you out of work though? That's my point. I don't think paid leave for periods should exist if we aren't also going to have paid leave for chronic health conditions, cancer etc.

I do hear your point.

But I’m coming at this purely from a female perspective in that this affects half the population and it is not sickness. It’s something that affects us monthly. We cannot help that function.

Other things such as migraines would need to be investigated.

Mayve the crux of it is sickness policy needs to be more generous or flexible I don’t know.

The problem is it can’t be a blanket statement because all women would have the right to one week in four (or more!) off which isn’t viable.
What we need is better understanding from GPs regarding women’s health and yes if your periods are causing you to suffer you should be able to phone in sick. But tbh most employers wouldn’t be happy with an employee who is ill several days a month . You could end up on capability .