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PERIODS. YOU WOMEN know what I’m talking about. Every month with the cramping and the crankiness and the quick tears and the CSI scene in your underpants.
Coexist, a community interest company in Bristol, is the first company in the UK to introduce “paid period leave.” Seventeen of their 24 staff members are female and from now on they will be granted paid time off work whenever they’re cramping.
Bex Baxter, one of the directors at Coexist, told The Bristol Post:
As a manager of staff I have seen women really suffer with their periods and I have found them doubled over in a lot of pain. They feel guilty and ashamed for taking time off and often sit at their desks in silence not wanting to acknowledge it.
It started from there and we thought we had to see what we could do about it and try and break the last great taboo. Nothing like this has been done in the UK before, we believe, and if it has, it has been very small.When women are having their periods they are in a winter state, when they need to regroup, keep warm and nourish their bodies. The spring section of the cycle, immediately after a period, is a time when women are actually three times as productive as usual.
Nike have written a similar menstrual leave into their Code Of Conduct since 2007.
The reality of period pain for women
A Panadol study reveals that about 40% of women have lied about being on their period to get out of doing something – from sports to sex. About 20% said they used this excuse to explain a bad mood or an irritable behavior. Some of them also said they used the “time of the month” as an excuse to take some time out.
The research also found that most women (90% of us) suffer from period pain and among them, 76% reported experiencing the pain for longer than a day.
I kind of see how it would be a good idea if a woman like me — who is lucky enough to not deal with much in the way of PMS besides highly increased irritability — got a couple of days off per month. I’d use them to do stuff that I don’t want to waste my precious weekends on.
I’m also 100% percent certain that added time off or professional dispensations given only to women would be used to support arguments that women aren’t as competent as men.
And that simply can’t happen. Menstruation isn’t a physical handicap. The belief that every woman needs time to deal with her period makes menstruation seem like some challenging monthly disability. It really isn’t.
Women’s bodies are poorly enough understood as it is. Period leave would only exacerbate the patriarchal notions that women’s normal bodily functions are thought of as polluting or dangerous.
A special law is patronising
For those of us who don’t wish to be defined by our gender, a special law focused on easing the menstrual burden on female workers is patronising. Such a law would discriminate against men too.
Could you really look Mark from accounts in the eye when you return from your 2-day chocolate-scoffing as he tries to battle through his own day with a rattling chest infection?
Another argument being used to advocate for period leave is that women shouldn’t feel they have to invent other less embarrassing illnesses when they need to take a sick day.
“If men could menstruate,” Gloria Steinem wrote, they “would brag about how long and how much.” The implication being that in a non-patriarchal society, women would be loud and proud about every used tampon and every mood swing.
Even now that science confirms that many of us are dealing with a storm of hormones and real pain, there are still strong social incentives to keep quiet about them.
If your period is so debilitating, woman up and tell your boss why you’re really taking that day off. We need to normalise periods, not make them a mysterious illness that prompts female workers to disappear for a few days each month.
Lorraine Courtney is a freelance journalist. Follow her on Twitter @lorrainecath.
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Nearly every second ad on television is about different types of tampax comfy, tampons with gel to deal with leakage, I remember my childhood being sent to the chemist on many occassions with a note to hand over the counter and the assistant coming back with a brown paper bag and you never looked in it, it’s come a long way since then
That made me laugh Martin , so true !
I loose the rag looking at those adds
Why “do we need to talk about them more”? ….. so you can get paid for a serious article?
By the way wtf is a “community interest company”?!
Better than seeing red.
Yep same problem in my family oldest of 3 boys back in the 70s, with a mother who could not get out of bed during her periods, being sent to ask at our local shop for ST they we the size of a bale of briquettes and wrapped in brown paper, i used to have a special route home on such errands.
A friend’s mother has a story about how, as a toddler, my friend found the bale sided pack of sanitary towels and on investigation discovered the adhesive stripe and did what any toddler would do… set about sticking them to the dog.
Cut to furious mother running around the garden after the dog bedecked in sanitary towels, having a great time, while laughing toddler looks on.
Eddie, if they are so discreet then why shout about them in an advert lol.
Malcolm, I won’t be in to work today…..
What is it THIS time Clare?
It’s…….it’s…….WOMEN’s problems!?!?
Ooooooh, um take all the time you need!!!!!
That’s a great advert.
Malcolm’s face is priceless when he hears the reason Clare won’t be in. Very funny and very, very accurate.
Its a crap ad. Never taken a day off for my period even though I get really bad menstrual cramps. Women just get on with it.
It’s a terrible ad and shows women as scheming liars and men as uneducated jackasses
That time of the month Deborah? Calm down
It’s a great ad. Period. Geddit? Probably not as you need a sense of humour to see the funny side of it.
Ian, what’s wrong with that?
Delighted for you Deborah but there is a huge difference between menstrual cramps and the pain and symptoms associated with endometriosis and ovarian cysts which are rarely mentioned when the conversation of period pain pops up. Not only do some women have extremely painful cramps they also suffer with, nausea, diziness, fainting and sleep disturbance which generally starts a few days before their period begins.
But what about women who truly struggle with periods? You said in the article that it’s just some irritability, crying and cramps. I found that considerably more patronising than the idea that we might get some necessary sick leave when needed. It sounds like you personally don’t struggle with a bad period, but I for one do. My periods often last more than a week and for the first 5 days I’m in a great deal of pain, my head aches, I can’t stomach food and can barely think. I’m not the only one like this and these days off are for people who truly suffer from periods where they cannot work, not for women whose periods like a couple of days and only cry a bit like it sounds as you do.
So try not to write such a patronising article next time.
There is medication you can take. What about people who get migraine? Do they get time off? People on diets,should they get time off? The list is endless tbh. You know what it’s called life shit happens to us all.
Having your period is not the same as being sick. Are you looking for 5 sick days every month?
Donna, I’m starting to think you’re a troll by the looks of the comments you’re leaving here. If you ever suffered from chronic periods you’d know that medication does sweet F all. And how productive would someone be at work if they spent their time with their head over the toilet bowl/feeling faint/doubled over in pain etc.?
Peter, I guess being a male you would be the expert on periods… If someone had the symptoms I’ve just spoken about for any other reason than periods you would consider them to be ill. Why? Because then it applies to you. As soon as it only affects Women you say it isn’t the same as being sick.
Let’s hope you never feel faint/chronic pain every now and then just for someone at work to say ‘ah Peter, you’re not *really* ill. Chin up, keep working!!’.
I’m all for this but… Can men get paid period leave too? The mood swings and getting angry over absolutely nothing and feeling like everything is your fault just because you exist takes its toll on us too…
Don’t be ridiculous, men have no say in this fem-dom world.
I’d rather the ladies got a few days off compared to me having a period. More power to yas
Exactly… if say a call center has 20-30 staff. half are female and go on “period leave” every 3-4 weeks, how will the business operate?!
The majority of women don’t get bad period pain, some can take a couple of panadol, feminex or ponstan and that works for them. But there are some women who have the complications of ovarian cysts and or endometriosis which causes excruciating pain and discomfort which doesn’t respond to pain killers. So those 10-15 staff they may all now and again get bad period pain and need a day off but you will find that there will be one or two who, more often that not need a couple of days off almost every month.
Wtf did I just didn’t read…
A typical article by Lorraine Courtney
After saying CSI scene in your underpants… i couldn’t take the rest of this article seriously!
The author is just short a few “period femojis!” Bodyform have actually launched a petition to get period femojis onto a official Unicode keyboard. (https://www.change.org/p/femojis-uk)
Wow Moderate Michael, we finally agree on something. Every time I see an article from Lorraine Courtney, it’s another special-treatment-for-wimmin diatribe.
What a complete pain in the arse.
Pain in the vagina actually!!!!
Touché..
Uterus, actually. Any woman knows the vagina doesn’t cramp during a period.
Me uterus is pressin into me bladder..
It seems a bit unfair…. But then there are a small number of women who suffer debilitating pain during menstruation. A very good friend of mine has seizures when she gets hers. I have seen it with my own eyes. Quite frightening. Not something that she could deal with in the office.
True, I don’t think it’s unfair when like your friend some women get really bad pains. Don’t mean to come across TMI but some months I can’t even walk, the pain is so bad I puke. I try my best to stop the pain by instantly taking painkillers the minute I get mine but sometimes it doesn’t aid the pain. I’ve also gone to the doctors about it so it’s not like I’ve tried to deal with it or want to be in extreme pain every second month or so. It would be nice to have some kind of thing brought in for women like me but of course there would always be others who would ruin it all on the genuine women who need to go home.
FFS more bullshit to make women look pathetic. Majority of women have no period issues. Some will use it to their advantage.
Do you mean they’ll use it periodically?
I’d like to see it illustrated on a flow chart
Pull it up on your iPAD.
‘Majority of Women have no period issue’ are you for real? I’d like to see the stats that back that sweeping statement up, Donna. What a strange coincidence that I seem to know the minority who do….
Then yiz are just mad in the head. Period. Pun intended.
What a bunch of highly insightful men u are. Look up endometriosis. Look up polycystic ovaries. There’s a reason we have started saying ‘man flu’.. but I’m sure yee can handle anything and never took a day sick in your lives…
This stupid idea would set womens workplace equality back decades. If a boss could pick between a man with no periods to worry about or a woman who may need a couple of days off every month, who would that boss pick?
Sarcastically call me a highly insightful woman if you want, but this is bullshit. And I’m speaking as someone who writhes in pain and vomits sometimes on my cycle. You use nurofen, motilium, heat pads, water and sleep and you get on with it. Just like every other woman since the dawn of time. Christ we’re not that delicate.
But that’s the whole issue, it’s that apparently it’s a deal to accommodate it. Sure why hires a woman at all, shell only go on maternity leave.
Great, well done. But if u need a day, why is that such a big deal?
If I need a day, I take a day. Out of the annual leave that’s allocated equally to me and my male colleagues. I don’t demand additional leave days on account of my female fragility.
So I guess taking 6 months for maternity is bad too right? I mean, we should really come in the next day. Don’t want to appear fragile. All I’m saying is if some women have it really tough, it should be accommodated. Get a drs letter if needed, but it can be debilitating. And that doesn’t mean fragile in my book.
It’s women like you who ruin it for the rest of us.
I don’t think you fully understand the reasoning for the length of maternity leave. I’ll let the internet educate you cos I can’t be bothered.
So Roisin, being a man so I wouldn’t understand, but are you comparing a period to childbirth ? Confused.com
My sister in US had to accrue holidays to take a few weeks at maternity, so you’ll get no sympathy for 6 months paid, off, here. ..
Amy, what about those women who are too ill to get out of bed even after taking powerful painkillers like I have done today and I still feel too sick and cramped up to get out of my bed. No amount of painkillers have taken away this extreme pain and I’ve already maxed out my daily recommended dose.
You sound like my previous GP who used to tell me my severe pain was all in my head despite me not being able to function for up to 2 weeks out of every month until I saw a different doctor who sent me for an ultrasound scan which found fibroids which I had to have laser surgery for, that dismissal by my previous incompetent doctor went on for seven years and I was crippled with so much pain I used to spend 2 weeks out of every month doubled up on my sofa so please educate yourself before dismissing others when they say they are in pain.
“There’s a reason we have started saying ‘man flu’…”
Yep, it’s a similar reason for why men are accused of being ‘girly’ any time they show signs of weakness. And yet people still continue scratching their heads over why men are often averse to visiting the doctor…
You really should get checked by a gynae because bad period pain which painkillers and sleep can’t aid generally indicates possibly complications. Someone else mentioned pcos, endometriosis and cysts etc. .could be any of those things. Regular normal periods should not hurt beyond a couple of Nurofen and a good sleep. Certainly should not warrant time off.
@Kool Tiger, you have a serious medical condition. It is not a regular period for which time off isn’t warranted and that is what is being advocated: all women getting time off every month for periods. Regular period pain is easily controlled. I’m not saying people with medical conditions should suck it up and go to work, of course they need time off. But I refuse to believe a policy such as this wouldn’t be abused by some opportunistic women. That’s naive.
Amy, the company introducing this policy is offering female employees who are in pain while menstruating to take time off if they feel they need it as the company recognises that employees suffering pain aren’t going to be productive, they are not advocating giving every woman days off every month while on their period.
My condition was due to my menstrual cycle, fibroids/endometriosis only happens to females and any female suffering severe pain before or during menstruation needs to be taken seriously and not be dismissed by the likes of you and incompetent GP’s where they can be left to suffer for years while being told get on with it and take a few neurofen. The director of the company who is bringing in this policy happens to be a woman so kind of knows what she is talking about.
Kool. I dont believe Amy was dismissing you at all. Indeed she realises you have a medical condition that needs to be taken seriously. Most womens period pain can be managed with over the counter painkillers. We do not need time off. Obviously yours does not fall into that category and i do take you seriously. Wishing you the best of health. It cannot be easy dealing with such pain and discomfort so often.
Thanks Amy, my 3 kids educated me. Its not ok to have different opinions anymore I guess. Wish you well.
Can we all agree that a kick in the ballbag hurts far worse than childbirth though?
I don’t understand being a man Damo because I’m not one, so yes, being a man and not having experienced either of those things, I’m saying that there’s nothing fragile or shameful about needing to take time because of having a really debilitating time. People are so quick to anger, like you don’t agree, fair enough, but Christ people can give different viewpoints. I resent when people act like women are only putting it on. I genuinely feel that’s ignorance because I know the level of pain that involves. It’s about being mindful of others, that’s all.
So did mine John. And I got a few weeks off when mine was born in the US in 2007. My point was someone said it set precedent to only hire men. My point was with maternity leave, why hire women at all.
Harry, it was a direct response to the first male commentators who were saying women’s periods were no big deal.
Ah… The Chewbacca defence
I take it with this policy, menstrual cycles will be important information on job application. You’d have to spread the loss of staff across the months cycle. Cant afford or risk to have all the female staff off at the same time surely ?
If they pursue too many policies like this they’ll end up with companies not hiring women at all.
I’ll have to add a new column to the monthly projections and accruals
Then you have the theory that when women spend a lot if time together, their cycles sync… the retail sector would shut down!!
Congratulations to The Journal for jumping the shark, yet again.
Bloody hilarious!
“I’d use the days off to do stuff I wouldn’t want to waste my time doing on the weekend”…. But not work stuff I should be doing. Lol Lorraine.
This might sound a bit weird but… I’m turned on by periods.
A bit??
Why’s that , john ?
I’m slightly turned on by tampax, vampires tea bag… am I the only one?
Yes
If your in pain and it’s sufficient enough to cause your real stress and it’s too painful to work for whatever reason including period pain…. go home….same applies for being sick….
Very unfair.
Companies should supply women having their periods with hot water bottles and Scream Rooms.
‘Mary – did you sign off on China?’
‘No’
‘Why – that was a billion dollar contract – all our futures were dependent on your input’
‘Sorry boss – I was having my period’
Maybe if a guy gets a horn at work he should ask for the rest of the day off to “regroup” as well.. This article is absolute tripe and its so patronising. If you have period cramps there is a way you deal with it without taking time off. Take 2 Nurofen plus every 4 hours. Jeez, next thing it will be “bad hair day leave”…..
A horn at work… That cracked me up hahaha
Don;t you know Tommy that feminists will be insisting on forced period days off work, mandatory, for men so men don’t have an advantage?
@Sinead. Lol
Regroup or regrip?
Sinead , I agree with you to some extent but there is some women who do suffer worse than that and a couple of nurofen plus would do nothing to help them .
If nurofen plus is not working they need to go to a GP, maybe go on a pill to reduce the periods etc, modern day medicine means we don’t have to suffer!
Either that or heroin.
Can I get time off for an itchy arse?
2 days off a month for the blob!!! This article is either a sick joke or outrageously sexist and discriminatory against men
Yes, the suggestion for a need of two “chocolate scoffing days” a month is very empowering towards women.
Next they’ll only be able to work one week a month,
Here’s a thought: use flexi-time; take the two days off when needed, and then work extra hours afterwards to make up the difference
Well the author Lorraine could do it at the weekend, as she’ll have all her personal jobs done on her menstrual leave. So she says.
My actual wife and work wife are synced at the same time! great craic it certainly is not!
Isn’t that better than of it was a one on/one off situation. You’ve never be away from the red rage.
Clearly none of you have suffered from painful periods, cramps on the same level as labour, vomiting and finally actually passing out from the pain…..
Yes I have. And I still don’t agree with it.
Did you actually say period pain is the same as labour pain? Clearly you have not experienced labour and if you did you had the epidural.
I think she’s talking about contractions in an overly dramatic fashion. You should get yourself some heat pads and nurofen plus. And get your lad to give you a good belly rub when you get home from work. Belly rubs rule.
Yes I have have birthed a child naturally and the pain I experienced in the final stages of labour were identical. I suffer from endometriosis.
I’m not talking a few cramps I’m talking pain on an entirely different level.
Yeah I’ve had pain bad enough that I could barely move so I don’t blame some women for wanting to stay at home for a day.
That is not a regular period and you really should investigate for other internal issues. Periods shouldn’t make you vomit if they do then something is going on which could indicate complications.
Ally, about 99% of the time my period is a breeze. But sometimes if I happen to go through illness or serious stress my PMS is turned up to 11. I’m talking physically shaking with pain. It can take a month or so for my hormones to balance out again but until then the experience is debilitating. I used to think that women who complained so much about periods were just being big babies but since I’ve seen how bad it can get I have absolutely nothing but reference for those who have to put up with it regularly. The experience isn’t universal for everyone.
Joanna I have gotten acupuncture to help me with heavy painful periods due to hormonal imbalance and taken up exercise and a better diet myself and they’re way less painful since I did so maybe you’re missing my point which is that it isn’t always the period itself it’s something causing imbalance. Like the other lady on here who said she’s passed out and vomited from the pain and then said she has endometriosis about 3 posts later. Painful period caused by endometriosis is not the same as just painful periods which is what the article is about so some people are comparing apples with artichokes!
But with my experience illness and stress were things outside of my control. Sometimes they can mess me up, sometimes they don’t. I’m not saying give women a free pass every month because not everyone needs it all the time. I’m saying make it OK to allow time for those that do.
Endometriosis is ultimately a super painful period and I have dragged myself to work wherein I was completely unproductive, but I couldn’t tell my employers it was period pain. Although at one point they did speak to me about a “trend” of sick days without actually copping the “trend” was quite obvious
Your periods are more painful because of your endometriosis, not because periods should be that painful, and that’s the only difference I was trying to make out. I always though painful periods were par for the course until I went to an acupuncturist, it was her that told me periods should never be as heavy or painful as the ones I was experiencing at that time. I followed her guidance and my periods changed nature completely, the pain was a lot less and they weren’t as heavy any more. Some women just put it all down to periods being painful when in fact there are things that can be done to change the nature of them, imbalances in the body can make them more painful, like endometriosis. So telling your employers it was just period pain wouldn’t have been accurate Karen, you have also got endometriosis, which is causing the periods to be more painful, not the other way around.
Some women use the hormones /periods to make excuses for being nasty/lazy all the time. Sorry ladies but we all know one or two!!!
Donna’s obviously a Male troll trying to impersonate a Woman :D :D … you wanna put a face to that profile pic, Donna? Funny that your FB account has *nothing* on it… not even pics, and you’re named after a charcater from the West Wing :D Journal have to seriously crack down on the trolls on this site.
You carol are a typical feminist. Everyone that has a different opinion too you is male and a troll. God forbid any woman would go against the sisterhood. FB ? I choose to have it private, it’s not a crime is it? Look up troll btw. It’s always used in the wrong context on here. I am a woman.
Also, so-called Carol, if that in fact really is your name, why exactly does the Journal need to “crack down on the trolls on this site”?
I play wookie 5 aside twice a week and get a kick in the nad’s approx once a month. Wheres my day off ?
Can men have a few days a month off for man flu
Surely man flu would have you totally incapacitated and comatose for weeks!
It does in some cases Daisy. It been proven many times that testosterone pails in comparison to estrogen when it comes to flu defence. Man flu is very much real.
pales*
This would be fair no male colleagues should have to put up with that shit.
I admit, I did have to call in sick once over that TOM, was up all that night vomiting, and crying in pain. Usually I manage though.
You could just take one of those pills in the photo with a cold glass of water and you’d be grand.
Ya might as well be shoving them up your hole for all the good they’d do.
I don’t see how women lying about periods is any different than people faking a sick day. If someone is out sick for a considerable amount of time, a doctor’s note is required. It could be the same for women who suffer endometriosis or the like. Women already work through debilitating pain because of the existing stigma around periods so I doubt many would be willing to essentially broadcast when they’re on their period by taking time off every month.
It’s a stupid idea open to abuse. Next it will be daddy needs time off to mind the kids while mammy is in bed with period pain. How can women expect to be treated equally when this crap is proposed. I get some ladies can have bad periods but it’s nature and there are meds to help with pain.
One word.
PONSTON
I got my hands on 24 Ponstan tablets after my wife had a C-section (she told me she didn’t need to take them).
They’re amazing – even the worst headache or hangover is gone in 5 or 10 minutes and you’re completely buzzin’! I never took more than one a week because they’re probably not great on the oul’ liver!
As far I know different women experience it very differently. I know my wife is usually in tremendous pain on the first day for a few hours. Seems like it would be like someone asking me to work and be productive right after someone kicked me right in the balls. Except the pain goes on for a few hours. Doesn’t really make sense and maybe special dispensation is not such a bad idea. The whole idea that we need to be in the workplace for the full 40 hours is quickly showing to be untrue anyway for most people. Most of us have the time to do all our work and still be able to be on facebook, read news articles and post comments at the end of them.
Next thing will be a special menstrual cycle lane!
Out of fairness and equality Men should be able to claim for Man Flu. You can barely change the channels on the remote with Man Flu. Terrible disease.
I’d like some time off to deal with my persistent priapism..
Whats the betting all the red thumbs are from the ladies
We don’t need to be discussing this in detail, the devil’s treacle is an issue for women to deal with in private and not one for us all to discuss.
Rather than write it into annual leave policy which leaves it open to abuse and also the “use them or lose them” attitude that is taken to regular leave days, why not have it recognised as a valid reason for sick leave and give increased sick leave allocation to both genders, a “take it if you need it” response that is open to the option of forgoing that leave if it isn’t needed.
Ah its not unfair if i was bleeding i wouldn’t go to work lol..
What’s the time, Mr Wolf?
It is the time of the month???
Not the same?
Time off for periods? It’s a great idea if you are a male in the workplace. Women who take up the offer can expect to see themselves further from promotion than ever before, and rightly so.
have your say