Australians could soon be entitled to up to 12 days’ menstrual leave as well as menopause leave, in a push by unions for greater workplace entitlements.
This would mean that women would be able to take time off from work when they are menstruating, in order to deal with the physical and emotional symptoms that can come with having a period.
This could be a game-changer for women in the workplace.
For too long, women have been disadvantaged in the workplace due to their reproductive health. From having to take time off for periods and now menopause, it can be hard to keep up with work demands.
But that could all be about to change, with unions pushing for better entitlements for women.
Under the proposal, women would be entitled to 12 days of menstrual leave, as well as menopause leave. This would help to level the playing field and allow women to better manage their health.
From next year, 11 million workers will be entitled to 10 days of paid domestic violence leave over a 12-month period, as guaranteed by the Fair Work Act. The aim is to get menstrual leave similarly recognized.
All of the following unions will be part of the campaign: the Australian Workers Union, the Transport Workers Union, the Rail, Tram, and Bus Union, and the United Workers Union.
Stacey Schinnerl, secretary of the AWU Queensland branch, said it was going to be a difficult conversation for men in particular and it would be a tough crowd to win over, but leave entitlements needed to be modernized.
“Some women suffer from a variety of issues throughout their entire working life, beginning with menstruation and continuing through pregnancy, peri-menopause, and menopause,” she told the Australian.
“The current leave and flexibility arrangements are insufficient in recognising the health concerns women face in contrast to men, who receive the same entitlements but experience none of those health hurdles.”
Unions believe that menstrual leave would make it easier for women to manage their symptoms and would help to reduce the overall amount of sick days taken by women each year.
It would also help to level the playing field between men and women in the workplace, as men currently do not have to deal with the same physical and emotional symptoms that women do during their periods.
The push for menstrual leave is part of a wider campaign by unions to improve working conditions for women in Australia.
