Our guide to creating a more equitable workplace
Menstrual Leave Policy? What's that?
Paid Menstrual and Menopause Leave is a written workplace policy that allows time off to menstruating employees who are experiencing severe symptoms related to their periods and other conditions, like endometriosis and PCOS.
In this guide, we share everything you'll need to know to successfully implement Paid Menstrual and Menopause Leave at your own business.
DIVA offers Paid Menstrual and Menopause leave to all its menstruating employees—and so can you!
Menstrual leave policy supports an organization’s employees
by alleviating inequity in the workplace and giving menstruating staff time and space to tend to symptoms caused by periods, perimenopause, and menopause. There’s no use in employee’s coming to work when they’re not able to commit themselves to their tasks (Presenteeism? No thanks).
That sounds nice, but what makes periods so special?
Organizations benefit from policies that accommodate the unique needs of their employees. And many employees menstruate, endure conditions related to their period, and experience signs of perimenopause and menopause.
- The UN estimates that 2 billion people menstruate worldwide
- A recent survey estimates more than 500,000 women in Canada aged 18 to 49 can be experiencing endometriosis, a period-related condition causing severe discomfort.
- A recent survey of over 2000 Canadians found over
25% of people who menstruate miss school, social events or sports due to their period. - “1 in 10 women may leave the workforce due to symptoms that aren’t managed”
And that's just a snapshot of how people with periods function in the workplace.
My workplace would never go for this
If you find yourself having a hard time approaching your senior leadership team about having a menstrual leave policy, don’t worry—you’re not alone. There's no single right way to implement this type of time off, and you're welcome to adapt it to suit your organization.
While we encourage a policy dedicated to menstrual and menopause leave, it can also work to offer unlimited sick days, increasing personal days, or working in tandem with other existing policies. As long your team can access the time off, it can look like anything!
How to make your case
Here are just a few benefits of having an official Paid Menstrual and Menopause Leave Policy:
Prevents presenteeism: When workers force themselves
to show up even when they are not able to produce their most effective work, it costs employers close to $645 million annually.
It's an attractive hiring feature: Compassionate policies
can draw top talent to your team.
Increases employee retention: Staff are more likely to stay with an organization that listens to and supports their needs.
Now you know why people need menstrual leave, and some of the consequences of not making appropriate accommodations for your employees.
Next, you can draft the written policy and work with HR to have it approved according to your organization's processes.
Need help getting started on the written policy? Download this draft for a head start:
We're in. Now what?
Paid Menstrual and Menopause Leave functions just like other paid leaves like sick days, personal days, and vacation days. If you're using an HR platform to track time, simply add it as a type of paid time off.
Requiring verification would diminish access to this policy, and we don't recommend it.
At DIVA, we offer 12 Paid Menstrual and Menopause Leave days per year, with 1 day allowed per cycle. While someone may take 2 days in one month, they cannot be consecutive days. Unlike personal days or vacation days, Paid Menstrual and Menopause Leave days can’t be booked in advance.
While we encourage the policy to be explicitly named to reduce period and menopause stigma, not all employees will be comfortable with notifying their teams that they’re on their period or experiencing signs related to perimenopause and menopause. Other titles that increase access to support for employees are acceptable and encouraged.
We’ve heard the criticism that this kind of policy would only make gender discrimination worse since it implies that women and those who menstruate are not able to work on their period or while experiencing symptoms of menopause.
Anyone who menstruates has shown that they can absolutely work on their period, but just as you wouldn’t be able to fully perform in throes of a bad cold, a period can be just as debilitating.
Comparing menstrual leave to other kinds of equity-based initiatives will help to reinforce that the policy is meant to benefit those who need it.
