Paid 'Menstrual Leave' For Women: Special Treatment Or A Necessary Benefit? - Polidicks

[quote] Do women deserve paid "menstrual leave" for the days when cramps, irritability or more complicated issues like endometriosis distract from the day's tasks? Menstrual leave is a part of the employee experience in several Asian countries, prompting think pieces on the topic from The Atlantic and Slate. HuffPost Live joined the conversation with a panel of women who spoke frankly about the idea. One of them, Skepchick.org founder Rebecca Watson, took issue with the way the premise is presented. "Just by asking the question, 'Should women get paid menstruation leave?' biases the listener into saying, 'Oh, of course not,' because you're talking about special treatment," she said. [/quote] There's also a video in the source. [url]http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/20/menstrual-leave_n_5359089.html[/url]

um, no, no they shouldn't if you're not working, you're not earning, simple as that.

[QUOTE=Mellowbloom;44868353]um, no, no they shouldn't [B]if you're not working, you're not earning, simple as that.[/B][/QUOTE] Maternity/Paternity? Illness? People don't suddenly cease having bills to pay when they stop being able to work for a while.

[QUOTE=Mellowbloom;44868353]um, no, no they shouldn't if you're not working, you're not earning, simple as that.[/QUOTE] I see you have not taken the effort to read beyond the title. Hell they even reference this:[quote]"Just by asking the question, 'Should women get paid menstruation leave?' biases the listener into saying, 'Oh, of course not,' because you're talking about special treatment," she said.[/quote] The discussion in the video is quite ok. They're not demanding anything, just discussing it within medical context and sick leave policy in general.

If they aren't feeling well enough to work, it should be treated as any other sickness.

Never had menstral cramps as a man, so can't really comment, but isn't it something a few painkillers could sort out? If i pull a muscle or have a huge headache i don't take the day off. Or is it a more serious pain than that?

Maternity and Paternity are sort of a big deal. Like bigger-than-yourself and you only deal with it once in a blue moon thing. Menstrual leave would be every month. That kinda shit adds up on a company level, and would just be an example of privileging one gender over the other. Unless guys get Football leave, or something...

Whether they should or not, no employer will employ anyone intending to take any sort of sick leave that often. There's already employers asking if women applying for a job intend to have a child in the next 15 years or so.

I'm surprised no one's made the joke that the policy is as much a mercy for the co-workers as the PMSing woman.

I'd be okay with this if there were a way to check it. Unfortunately, unlike other illnesses, a doctor can't really... gauge how much pain the woman is in, right? I feel that it could be abused quite easily, especially for a condition that comes back every month and only lasts a few days.

[QUOTE=Occlusion;44868389]Never had menstral cramps as a man, so can't really comment, but isn't it something a few painkillers could sort out? If i pull a muscle or have a huge headache i don't take the day off. Or is it a more serious pain than that?[/QUOTE] Well it's different for every woman. Some have no issue at all going about their day, others can't do jack shit due to pains and other problems related to it.

[QUOTE=jiggu;44868401]Whether they should or not, no employer will employ anyone intending to take any sort of sick leave that often. There's already employers asking if women applying for a job intend to have a child in the next 15 years or so.[/QUOTE] Preeeeetty sure an employer isn't allowed to ask that. It's discriminatory.

Depends on the severity. As the article mentions, some women can suffer pretty badly when it comes around. Those women would likely be responsible for selecting a job in which they believe they can still function and complete their work, or select jobs that allow them to take regular leaves if they feel the need. Finding a job like that would be extremely difficult, though. Pretty sure that the vast majority of women are not severely impacted and would not need anything like 'menstrual leave.' The rare few who are severely/cripplingly affected could (like they can now) seek treatment or negotiate with their employer, but as previously mentioned not many fields of work would allow for regular leaves of a week.

Sure! If I get to take a couple of days off to jerk off in the name of equality, this is a welcome move.

[QUOTE=GoDong-DK;44868383]If they aren't feeling well enough to work, it should be treated as any other sickness.[/QUOTE] And as such, if you don't want to go into work for it, you take one of your normal sick days off. You don't get "Common Cold" sick days if you're predisposed to getting colds easily, you just get your normal sick days. I have a bad back that i suffer from regularly, would I get any extra sick days off for that? Nope, I'd have to use my normal sick days.

well i get similarly regular joint pain myself so i can totally see where they're coming from with this. i'd much rather have people skiving off of work than people working in terrible pain tbh

Wouldn't this fall under already existing sick days or personal time?

Yeah this definitely wouldn't just lead to men being favored for employment by every business everywhere.

It makes sense because lots of women do experience very bad cramps and pain that is menstruation related. Guessing employers won't like it though because "muh profits". I wonder if a middle ground is possible... i.e. in some jobs it could be easier than others for women to work from home when in related distress I wouldn't see it as unwarranted special treatment, more as workers right's adapting to problems that already exist and occur for females.

If you're having period pains that badly then you should just call up sick.

Only if I'm allowed "Awkward and Painful Boner" days.

Blue Balls days. You're on paid leave if had no sex for the last 2 weeks. What are you rating me dumb for you'd have vacation your whole life!

[QUOTE=Mellowbloom;44868353]um, no, no they shouldn't if you're not working, you're not earning, simple as that.[/QUOTE] So if I get heavily ill and my family relies on me, we can all go get fucked? Okay then.

If such a law were to pass, it would have terrible consequences on women employment. Corporations are already worried about employing a woman who might have a paid maternal leave eventually, imagine how they'd feel if they knew for sure they'd have a right to have a few days menstrual leave every months. I'd suggest we work on getting equal payments between men & women, equal work time and equal promotions rather than pushing something that would be both discriminatory for men and double-edged.

[QUOTE=Awesomecaek;44868604]So if I get heavily ill and my family relies on me, we can all go get fucked? Okay then.[/QUOTE] Do you get heavily ill for a few days every month? I don't think your employer would keep you around in that case regardless...

wouldn't this just further reinforce men and women aren't equal?

No, because it's different for every woman and far from everyone experiences such pain that it gets in the way of working normally. Considering employers are already cautious about hiring people that may be having kids (and thus has right to maternity/paternity leave) or plan on studying in parallel with work don't think it'd be in the best interest of most women to write guaranteed menstruation leave into law. Legislating about employer-employee flexibility or a special variant of sick leave with certain conditions may be better.

[QUOTE=headshotter;44868628]If such a law were to pass, it would have terrible consequences on women employment. Corporations are already worried about employing a woman who might have a paid maternal leave eventually, imagine how they'd feel if they knew for sure they'd have a right to have a few days menstrual leave every months. I'd suggest we work on getting equal payments between men & women, equal work time and equal promotions rather than pushing something that would be both discriminatory for men and double-edged.[/QUOTE] I think you're overestimating the impact this would have, but there'd probably be some effect.

[QUOTE=Awesomecaek;44868604]So if I get heavily ill and my family relies on me, we can all go get fucked? Okay then.[/QUOTE] If you're getting heavily I'll from a period you need to visit a doctor

[QUOTE=Awesomecaek;44868604]So if I get heavily ill and my family relies on me, we can all go get fucked? Okay then.[/QUOTE] If you had a chronic condition that rendered you incapable of work regularly for a couple of days a month many employers would definitely think twice about hiring you.