In May, Spain's legislative cabinet approved a draft bill to grant paid medical leave for "women who suffer from severe period pain." Spain is the first European country to advance such legislation, as Japan, South Korea, and Indonesia already have such laws. Italy put forward similar legislation in 2017, but it was ultimately not approved.

In Canada, an Ontario-based employer recently implemented a company-wide menstrual leave policy of one day a month—up to twelve paid days off a year. While many celebrated the announcement, some questions arose.

"Wouldn't regular sick leave cover this?" asked one of the Ontario company's employees. Others questioned whether this law is discriminatory or a step back for women's rights. Despite countries like Japan implementing this leave early, very few women use it as they worry they would be seen as less capable than their male counterparts.

Up to 20 percent of women must take days off due to period-related pain, bloating and exhaustion. Many women are embarrassed to admit why they're taking sick days each month or have been told that it's just part of life. So they take medication and come to work anyway, resulting in a monthly cycle of presenteeism. If you must produce a doctor's note, research shows that doctors tend to dismiss women's menstruation pain. 

In the US, data collection showed that menstrual symptoms cause a loss of 100 million work hours per year.

Menstrual leave remains fraught with several issues, as present policies aren't often worded to be gender-inclusive. This legislation could also be a basis for companies to hire fewer women or devalue women's contributions.

Despite the concerns, many see this as a step towards raising awareness about menstruation pain. It can showcase a medical issue that impacts many people and how more research is needed for proper health care.

If companies are creating policies around menstrual leave, they must be mindful of why this leave is being granted and ensure that there is no additional stigma for people who use this benefit. 

Do you think a menstrual leave policy is a good idea? Let APSA know at apsacomm@sfu.ca.

 

Resources

  1. https://thewalrus.ca/why-canada-needs-paid-menstr…
  2. https://www.hrreporter.com/focus-areas/compensati…
  3. https://www.benefitscanada.com/benefits/health-we…
  4. https://globalnews.ca/news/8871703/canada-spain-m…
  5. https://www.euronews.com/next/2022/05/13/spain-s-…
  6. https://www.dw.com/en/menstrual-leave-a-blessing-…
  7. https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/20/business/period-le…