Name: How menstrual leave can create a happy and inclusive workplace
Uploaded: 2023-05-26T14:18:39.240Z
Duration: 333.88

Lizzy audio correction.mp4

Lizzy menstrual leave.vtt

English

{{00:00:00}}
Hi, I'm Lizzy Kurtzer.

{{00:00:01}}
I'm your inner connection coach, and
I support women and organisations to

{{00:00:05}}
thrive in life and business through
connecting them with the menstrual

{{00:00:09}}
cycle and menstrual cycle awareness.

{{00:00:11}}
And today I'm going to be talking
to you about menstrual leave.

{{00:00:22}}
Menstrual leave is part of a wider
cultural shift in understanding

{{00:00:27}}
women and their lived experience.

{{00:00:29}}
And when it comes to organisations, it's
about saying, we see you, we support you,

{{00:00:34}}
and we want you to come here and thrive.

{{00:00:37}}
Particularly with women who have disorders
such as endometriosis, polycystic

{{00:00:41}}
ovarian syndrome, PMDD, menstrual
leave really supports them to really

{{00:00:47}}
come and thrive in an organisation.

{{00:00:54}}
So there are examples where women
have been found lying in the toilets

{{00:00:59}}
at work because of heavy bleeding
and they've fainted, or they've

{{00:01:03}}
felt like they're going to faint.

{{00:01:04}}
Women have been reprimanded for frequent
loo breaks, again due to heavy bleeding,

{{00:01:10}}
or for women with endometriosis, frequent
urination is just part of the whole cycle.

{{00:01:17}}
Women who have been sat at their desk
all day, feeling uncomfortable, not

{{00:01:21}}
wanting to get up from the desk because
they're worried they've bled through their

{{00:01:23}}
clothes and they've waited for the whole
office to leave before they've gotten up.

{{00:01:28}}
So menstrual leave policies really
actually enhance and support

{{00:01:33}}
women to thrive in business.

{{00:01:42}}
So sometimes there's a concern that it
can produce more stigma for women, but

{{00:01:46}}
actually it invites businesses to question
or be curious about a different way of

{{00:01:53}}
doing business, a different way to be
successful, a different way to thrive.

{{00:01:58}}
By having menstrual leave and creating
a conversation around it, it actually

{{00:02:03}}
helps to support to remove the taboo and
to remove the stigma because we're not

{{00:02:06}}
having to be quiet, hide, or be ashamed.

{{00:02:09}}
If you're wondering about who is pushing
back on menstrual leave, it can be anyone.

{{00:02:13}}
Often we find women in organisations feel
uncomfortable about talking about periods.

{{00:02:18}}
Equally, you know, men and other people
who don't have menstrual cycles will often

{{00:02:22}}
ask the question of: is it fair to give
people with menstrual cycles extra leave?

{{00:02:28}}
And again, it's an invitation for
individual individuals to look

{{00:02:31}}
at it from different perspective.

{{00:02:33}}
So HR are really important in
opening up conversations and driving

{{00:02:43}}
awareness around menstrual leave and
wider menstrual health disorders.

{{00:02:48}}
One thing that they can really be
doing is either themselves be providing

{{00:02:52}}
education throughout the business, or
inviting external organisations that

{{00:02:55}}
come in and educate about endometriosis,
polycystic ovarian syndrome, PMDD,

{{00:03:00}}
and other menstrual health disorders.

{{00:03:02}}
For companies that want to use different
language rather than menstrual leave

{{00:03:07}}
to be more inclusive, and are concerned
about people feeling uncomfortable

{{00:03:12}}
about using menstrual leave.

{{00:03:14}}
We are also seeing businesses
use wellbeing days, and creating

{{00:03:19}}
wellbeing policies, and incorporating
menstrual leave into that.

{{00:03:23}}
A company might allocate
seven wellbeing days a year.

{{00:03:25}}
And when you need, you just allocate
yourself as one of those days.

{{00:03:29}}
I'm not coming in today because
I'm taking a wellbeing day.

{{00:03:37}}
So, Spain have just brought in a
law for menstrual leave for women.

{{00:03:42}}
But, this requires a doctor's
note or a doctor's certificate.

{{00:03:45}}
And if you're a global company, you really
need to think about the accessibility

{{00:03:49}}
for your employees, and that depends
on where they are in the world.

{{00:03:52}}
For example, if you're in the US and
you need a doctor's certificate, you've

{{00:03:57}}
got to A, be able to get an appointment,
and B think about the cost of that.

{{00:04:01}}
It may undermine your wider
company culture if you feel you

{{00:04:05}}
need your employees to prove that
they need that menstrual leave.

{{00:04:10}}
It's really about asking ourselves what
company kind of company do we wanna be?

{{00:04:14}}
What are our values?

{{00:04:15}}
And so do we value integrity,
autonomy, trust, and what are our

{{00:04:22}}
current policies around wellbeing?

{{00:04:30}}
Flexible working really aligns with
menstrual leave, particularly for

{{00:04:33}}
companies who may not want to allocate
days off, but can allow flexible working.

{{00:04:38}}
And we know from a lot of the research
for many women, it's not about, I don't

{{00:04:42}}
want to work today or I can't work today.

{{00:04:44}}
I just need to be comfortable.

{{00:04:46}}
There are some great benefits
for companies by incorporating

{{00:04:49}}
menstrual leave into their policies.

{{00:04:51}}
So one is increased
wellbeing of their employees.

{{00:04:54}}
How women experience their menstruation
has a direct impact on the rest

{{00:04:59}}
of their cycle and their wellness.

{{00:05:02}}
We know from research coming out that
it can really improve productivity

{{00:05:05}}
and efficiency throughout the rest
of their cycle, and also it's a

{{00:05:09}}
fantastic way to attract global talent.

{{00:05:13}}
You know, we've heard from businesses
who've incorporated these policies that

{{00:05:17}}
they're getting greater applications
from women and senior leadership

{{00:05:20}}
because they can bring their whole
selves to work, and they can see

{{00:05:24}}
that these companies are committed to
equality, diversity, and inclusion.

I'm your inner connection coach, and
I support women and organisations to

thrive in life and business through
connecting them with the menstrual

And today I'm going to be talking
to you about menstrual leave.

Menstrual leave is part of a wider
cultural shift in understanding

And when it comes to organisations, it's
about saying, we see you, we support you,

Particularly with women who have disorders
such as endometriosis, polycystic

ovarian syndrome, PMDD, menstrual
leave really supports them to really

So there are examples where women
have been found lying in the toilets

at work because of heavy bleeding
and they've fainted, or they've

Women have been reprimanded for frequent
loo breaks, again due to heavy bleeding,

or for women with endometriosis, frequent
urination is just part of the whole cycle.

Women who have been sat at their desk
all day, feeling uncomfortable, not

wanting to get up from the desk because
they're worried they've bled through their

clothes and they've waited for the whole
office to leave before they've gotten up.

So menstrual leave policies really
actually enhance and support

So sometimes there's a concern that it
can produce more stigma for women, but

actually it invites businesses to question
or be curious about a different way of

doing business, a different way to be
successful, a different way to thrive.

By having menstrual leave and creating
a conversation around it, it actually

helps to support to remove the taboo and
to remove the stigma because we're not

If you're wondering about who is pushing
back on menstrual leave, it can be anyone.

Often we find women in organisations feel
uncomfortable about talking about periods.

Equally, you know, men and other people
who don't have menstrual cycles will often

ask the question of: is it fair to give
people with menstrual cycles extra leave?

And again, it's an invitation for
individual individuals to look

So HR are really important in
opening up conversations and driving

awareness around menstrual leave and
wider menstrual health disorders.

One thing that they can really be
doing is either themselves be providing

education throughout the business, or
inviting external organisations that

come in and educate about endometriosis,
polycystic ovarian syndrome, PMDD,

For companies that want to use different
language rather than menstrual leave

to be more inclusive, and are concerned
about people feeling uncomfortable

We are also seeing businesses
use wellbeing days, and creating

wellbeing policies, and incorporating
menstrual leave into that.

A company might allocate
seven wellbeing days a year.

And when you need, you just allocate
yourself as one of those days.

I'm not coming in today because
I'm taking a wellbeing day.

So, Spain have just brought in a
law for menstrual leave for women.

But, this requires a doctor's
note or a doctor's certificate.

And if you're a global company, you really
need to think about the accessibility

for your employees, and that depends
on where they are in the world.

For example, if you're in the US and
you need a doctor's certificate, you've

got to A, be able to get an appointment,
and B think about the cost of that.

It may undermine your wider
company culture if you feel you

need your employees to prove that
they need that menstrual leave.

It's really about asking ourselves what
company kind of company do we wanna be?

And so do we value integrity,
autonomy, trust, and what are our

Flexible working really aligns with
menstrual leave, particularly for

companies who may not want to allocate
days off, but can allow flexible working.

And we know from a lot of the research
for many women, it's not about, I don't

want to work today or I can't work today.

There are some great benefits
for companies by incorporating

So one is increased
wellbeing of their employees.

How women experience their menstruation
has a direct impact on the rest

We know from research coming out that
it can really improve productivity

and efficiency throughout the rest
of their cycle, and also it's a

You know, we've heard from businesses
who've incorporated these policies that

they're getting greater applications
from women and senior leadership

because they can bring their whole
selves to work, and they can see

that these companies are committed to
equality, diversity, and inclusion.

Expert Insight

It's no secret that traditional working patterns were designed by men, for men. But in the more inclusive workplaces of today, is it time to reconsider normal workplace conventions such as leave and health policies?
Lizzy Kurtzer, menstrual coach and mentor, addresses how period leave and other policies designed to take account of the women's menstrual cycles can benefit both employers and employees alike.

Inclusion

Leadership & Teams

Female Leaders

Work Culture

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Lizzy Kurtzer.jpg

Lizzy Kurtzer

Discover insights from other experts

Menstrual coach and mentor 

Kurtzer explains how menstrual leave can support women and why it is necessary.

The need for menstrual leave

Learn how, by introducing menstrual leave policies, companies can challenge the stigma and work towards more open conversations.

 Challenging the stigma

HR is essential in providing education around menstrual leave, discover how this can be done effectively.

Educating employers and employees

Kurtzer talks through policy options for businesses to consider and explains the need for proper scrutiny to ensure any requirements are accessible and inclusive.


Putting policies in place

Discover how menstrual policies can benefit entire organisations by helping to attract great talent and maintain a healthy, inclusive culture.