NBR Menstrual Leave

Today I was having a 'my uterus  is trying to kill me' complain session with a work friend and we started discussing menstrual leave. 

When I was 21 and in my first full time job, which happened to be in Japan, I had a day a month I could take as 'Women's Leave' if I needed it. I think I only took it 2-3 times.

Theres quite a lot of chatter about this out there, and some very valid concerns that for some women a day a month isn't enough, some wouldn't need it, some would take advantage, some bosses would use this as an excuse not to hire women etc.

To me, women's bodies are different to men's (as well as to each other) and cause them pain, discomfort, bleeding and other UGH for anywhere from a day to a week a month, so it's probably time we were woke enough to consider what would be fair (and fair to women, not men, who don't really have an equivalent to suffer through for this particular issue). Each job is different too, and each woman, so it definitely wouldn't be easy but....

thoughts? 

   I think you brought up some very valid points there. It's hard to make a blanket statement. I know for myself I've had time of the months when it hurt so bad I was nauseous and bent over but still had to work. And times like the last temp job I had when I worked for five weeks and was on my monthly for two of those weeks. My job involved standing on my feet all day but I managed fine. 

Hahahaha interesting.. Maybe women should get extra sick leave ;D

Never thought of this concept.... At the very least, being able to work from home is a real life saver (not that everyone has that option - I'm a dental assistant so need to be physically present)

i work from home and it's good but not a fix all, especially because i still have to be on camera, meet with clients etc.  Some days that's all painkillers.

I don't think it should be sick leave, periods aren't illnesses :)  But some form of special leave

I understand that many women battle with long, heavy, painful cycles every month, but I don’t agree with special leave for this, or companies and employers having to suffer because of it (by paying staff for extra time off, etc). It’s a fact of life, and in this day and age there are medical advances that can help with this.

Long, heavy, painful periods run in my family.  I’m talking about 8-14 day periods, every 28 days, like clockwork, and having to change a tampon every hour (which is why I switched to using a Cup). It’s draining, especially in months where it ends up being 2 weeks “on”, 2 weeks “off”.  

I get a bit sick of reading “woe-is-me” posts, especially when a GP can help with this sort of thing.  A combination of the Pill and other medications helped lessen the cramping and heavy flow (I was on one of them for years - you start taking the tablets around 4 days before your period is due). I wasn’t happy pumping my body full of medication, so I asked my GP for alternatives and ended up getting the Mirena IUS (intrauterine system).  Problem solved, no more cramping, no more periods. And for those wanting to have children, there’s no 3 month wait like when you stop taking the Pill. The day they remove the Mirena, your body reverts back to its normal cycle.  

I've had the Mirena for 6 years (it gets replaced every 5 years), and I won’t look back.  It’s the best thing I ever did.  I chose to deal with my heavy, painful periods, instead of complaining about them or letting them become an issue. 

Not pointing fingers at anyone here, by the way, we all have issues and medical conditions that we have to deal with on a daily basis, but these kinds of posts on the forum tend to take away from what this forum is really here for.

Silvene, we obviously disagree here so I won't counter any of your points except to say that the forum is here for chat, and it was a topic I found interesting. Your opinion about what should be posted is simply an opinion.  You're entitled to it, but it's not fact.


LETS CALL THIS THREAD CLOSED SO THAT IT DOESN'T DEGENERATE INTO ARGUMENTS.

As moderator, I'm officially closing this thread. Any further comments will be deleted. 

Right, let's get back to talking about lovely things like advent calendars and Christmas trees!