Menstrual leave employment policies allow employees experiencing painful menstrual cycle-related symptoms or illnesses, such as dysmenorrhea (painful periods) and menorrhagia (heavy bleeding) to take time off work.

Traditionally, these policies have been sex-specific, targeting women or females. However, some companies have begun expanding their language to include “people with uteruses” or “menstruating employees.” This shift is significant, as research shows that sex-specific employment policies undermine gender equality at work.

For a similar reason, I will be using the terms “menstruators” and “people who menstruate” throughout this article, as language is a crucial signal of inclusion and exclusion.

For menstrual policies to deconstruct rather than perpetuate social inequalities, an intersectional approach is required. This involves challenging assumptions about menstruation, such as the idea that it is exclusively a topic impacting cisgender women when it also impacts gender-diverse people.

While it is important to dispel the myth that all menstruators experience painful menstrual symptoms or related illnesses, these issues are still a cause for concern in the workplace.

A recent study in Spain found that 72.6 per cent of participants report experiencing menstrual pain. Of these, 34.3 per cent stated they would consider using menstrual leave to alleviate their discomfort. Yet only 17.3 per cent actually requested time off due to fear of professional repercussions.

These results demonstrate the pressing need to implement........

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