At this British company, you can only use this excuse to skip work if you're a woman
Every woman takes a day off every now and then when she's feeling under the weather or needs a vacation. But British company Coexist just added another reason for female workers to call out of the office and stay in bed—it's a 12-letter word called "menstruation."
"For too long there's been a taboo surrounding periods – I have women staff telling me they're ashamed to admit they're in pain," Coexist company director Bex Baxter told The Guardian.
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Taking a day off can be a difficult decision to make for diligent workers, as no one wants to be perceived as lazy or unproductive. But often times, deciding to go in to the office on a day when you're feeling nowhere near your best can be just as counterproductive as not coming in at all.
As Baxter puts it, "There is a misconception that taking time off makes a business unproductive – actually it is about synchronizing work with the natural cycles of the body."
Acknowledging that a woman's menstrual cycle was a natural occurrence in the body that is not to be viewed as a sickness was a distinction that Baxter felt needed to be made:
"If someone is in pain – no matter what kind – they are encouraged to go home. But, for us, we wanted a policy in place which recognizes and allows women to take time for their body's natural cycle without putting this under the label of illness."
Just under 70 percent of employees at Coexist are women. But for Baxter and management, it's not just about women feeling comfortable with this new policy. "I want us to break down that shame and replace the negativity with positivity. Both men and women have been open to the ideas, especially from the younger generation."
Common menstrual symptoms, such as cramps, headaches and fatigue can be distracting in the workplace.
Baxter believes that, "If you work with your natural rhythms, your creativity and intelligence is more fulfilled. And that's got to be good for business."
Coexist's new policy implementation is sure to spark conversation, and hopefully, a lot more comfort and productivity.
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