but what about me?Posted on 07/15/2017 4:46:07 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
It’s true that the first day of your period is usually the absolute worst. It’s different for everyone, but cramps, fatigue, and irritability are pretty common, and for some women, they can be crippling. That’s what the women of Culture Machine say, at least, in a new video announcing the company’s plan to give women the first day of their period off. Culture Machine is a digital media company in Mumbai, which makes this all the more progressive. In rural parts of India, women are often sent out to menstruation huts to wait our their period. The huts are very bare bones — no mattresses, obviously no air conditioning, and no running water. Recently, a woman in Nepal died in a menstruation hut.
So for a company in Mumbai to even be talking about periods is a pretty big deal. Devleena S. Majmuder, the President of Human Resources said in a statement, “The first day is obviously a not so comfortable day for most. It’s time we face the reality. This is not an embarrassment. This is part of life.” Ruchir Jochi, the Head of Content, thinks that if men got their periods, they would all be taking off, too. “The realization that we have to have is that we don’t understand the pain and we don’t go through it. If we were to have probably that kind of discomfort, we would possibly not be coming to office or not be doing work at that point of time,” he said.
Culture Machine also started a Change.org petition for companies across the subcontinent to offer First Day of Period (FOP) leave. Another Mumbai company has also followed their lead. Japan and Taiwan already offer this type of leave; Italy is currently debating paid “period leave” for women, too. It would be the first Western country to offer days off for menstruating.
It’s kind of a complicated issue. While it’s important for period to be something women shouldn’t be scared of talking about or feel ashamed of, giving women days off to menstruate can also reinforce the idea that women aren’t capable of doing the equal amount of work that men can do simply because they menstruate. Companies that want to increase productivity might think twice about hiring women if they know they’re taking a standard sick day every thirty days, much like companies used to (and likely still do) be wary of hiring a woman lest she go on maternity leave.
While taking a paid sick day isn’t the same thing as a sending a woman into a hut without food or water, it could reinforce the stereotype that women are impure or can’t participate in society because their uterus sheds its lining.
Instead of fighting for something that affects just women, better paid sick leave plans all around might be more useful for the feminist cause. That way, every one could get a couple more days to use if their cramps are making work impossible.
“Comments?”
I wouldn’t dare. 8^)
This is what I have always viewed as a typical “but” employee. “He’s a good employee, but...”
“But” employees are not good employees. Everyone else and the organization suffers to accommodate them.
It seems to reinforce the idea that women are fundamentally the weaker sex.
Take the time without pay or quit.
Lots of women deal with it like adults.
“...This will lead to employers continuing to bias toward hiring older women versus younger ones ...”
Reminds me of the Benny Hill song ...
“Oh, give me an older woman every time, every time,
Give me an older woman every time.
They don’t yell, and they don’t tell, and oh, they’re grateful as hell,
So give me an older woman every time....”
Sorry, just popped into my head.
How fast will one day off turn into a lawsuit demanding the full time off for that time of the month....
I give it six months...
Oh, please!!!! I don’t get my period anymore, but I never missed a day of work because of cramps.
Occasionally, there are physical conditions (I’m not a doctor), like endometriosis (?) which can be very painful, from what I understand.
But for a normal healthy woman? Take some Midol and move on.
Men probably have physical problems but they don’t yap about it.
So, what you’d tell prospective employers is, “hire a woman prior to menopause and you’re going to get 12 fewer days a year production out of your new employee and it’s coming out of your budget.” Is this really the message you want to send? And what does anyone think the response is likely to be?
I wish they would do this for the women where I work. They can be real bitches when they are on the rag. It would be better for everyone if they weren’t around during that time.
but what about me?Geez - and I remember a time a few years ago when to joke about a woman being irritable because of PMS would have gotten you labeled as a male chauvinist pig if not sued for sexual harassment - no double standard there.....
“It seems to reinforce the idea that women are fundamentally the weaker sex.”
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Yes,it does.
Never in a million years would I have expected a day off for this-—I just toughed it out as my entire generation did.
.
Do they get PTO for hot flashes as well?
And how about a weekly bonus for dry cleaning costs since women’s wear costs more than shirts and pants?
1) Interestingly, the woman who died in the menstruation hut in Nepal got bit by a snake.
2) What about just having a separate room where the menstruating women can go and work where the rest of the staff doesn’t have to be around them? This is India we’re talking about, after all.
Tampon Personal Day.
You bet they are (grateful!)! ;)
Btw, may your son rest in peace. The wars have taken quite a toll on families such as yours.
Exactly. Women just aren’t going to be as productive as men. Why any employer would expose them to that doesn’t make sense.
Sigh.....this is a perfect thread for Laz and his minions.....
You can’t make stuff like this up.
Bill said Hillary was on the rag 24/7 365. So if she had become President she would be entitled to everyday off if this became the law of the land.
Benjamin Franklin wrote an essay or more on the same concept.
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