In the Netherlands there are approximately five million women of menstruating age. of them has 85 percent pain every month. And one in three can work less or not at all or do the housework during their period.
This costs employers about 8 billion euros a year, because production is lower or because replacements have to be found.
Menstrual leave
In Spain they are tackling the problem by introducing menstrual leave. This has been arranged for some time in China, South Korea and Japan. Should we do the same in the Netherlands?
Women should be able to rest one or two days a month, says Peter de Vroed, founder of the Menstruation Information Institute. “But for 90 percent of women, one day a month is enough.”
Complaints over sooner
That one day of rest, or sometimes two, can, according to De Vroed, ensure that the menstrual complaints are over much sooner. “That rest ensures that you don’t have to go beyond your limits for one or two days every month.”
It is then necessary that the subject disappears from the taboo atmosphere, he says. “Then women dare to tell their boss and that is also better for the organization.”
De Vroed is not afraid that employers are less likely to hire women during menstrual leave. Not only are women more productive outside such a leave, you also face the question of where you would have to get all those men from for the work that women now do, he says.
Furthermore, it is also good for the atmosphere in an organization if there is a balance between women and men, says De Vroed.
From the taboo sphere
Of course you can also call in sick one day a month, De Vroed suggests, but then the taboo will continue to exist and employees may get the reputation that they are often sick. “You are actually crazy if your organization does not allow menstrual leave.”
