The paid leave will not be taken from 'sick leave'
Sustainable period pant brand Modibodi is now offering employees paid leave for miscarriage, menopause, and menstruation.
The paid leave will not be taken from ‘sick leave’ but are specifically designed to be used by staff suffering menstrual or menopause symptoms which interfere with their ability to work, or in the event they suffer a miscarriage or pregnancy loss. Employees are also allowed to request to work from home if needed during their period.
Speaking to HRD, CEO and founder Kristy Chong, explained the importance of leave such as this for all workers.
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“We feel it’s important to raise awareness about the fact some people experience uncomfortable, sometimes severe symptoms during menstruation, menopause or miscarriage,” she told HRD. “We’re acknowledging the fact every individual’s experience of their cycle is different and we believe having a specific policy helps breakdown stigma and taboos, so people don’t need to lie or feel awkward taking days off when they’re suffering.”
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Since New Zealand’s decision to implement legal leave for employees who’ve suffered a miscarriage, many companies are following suit. Sadly, one in four women experience a miscarriage in their lives – with 10-15% of pregnancies ending in miscarriage. While the issue is clearly a prevalent one, it’s only in the past couple of years that employers have added this leave to their overall benefits packages.
Menstruation leave is an even newer phenomenon. While the notion of giving women time off work to deal with painful periods has been talked of a lot over the past few years – very few employers have taken the step of offering paid leave.
“We’ve introduced these policies as part of our commitment to talk openly and honestly about periods, to normalise conversations about menstruation and to remove any stigma and shame associated with a normal, natural part of life,” added Chong. “To help change those attitudes, we need to start in our own office, and this new policy is one action we can take now to help do that.
“We’re giving employees the option to take paid leave days for either menstruation or menopause, or to choose to work from home during days when they’re feeling discomfort. We want our staff to be able to be honest about their experiences of menstruation, menopause and miscarriage by encouraging people to feel comfortable asking for support and understanding when they need it.”
