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Despite what some men try to claim,
period pain is zero percent a myth for many women. Wrenching waves of
cramps, throbbing lower back pain, and vise-like headaches are par for
the course every month for some of us, with varying levels of pain—and
that doesn't include the sudden onset of tears, general rage, or
never-ending refrigerator raids others experience. But what's even worse
than having to go through all of this every 28 days or so is that we
still have to schlep our bloated, pained selves to an office in
work-appropriate clothing (versus our old college sweats), pretend like
nothing's wrong, and make it through the day.
As
miserable as those nine-plus hours of work can feel, though, there's
probably some solidarity in the office: 42 percent of women said that
period pain has affected their job, according to a recent YouGov survey.
Unfortunately, 82 percent also said that their employers don't make any
accommodations for this recurring health issue that half the population
faces.
[post_ads]According to the survey, most
women whose period pain is so severe that they have to take time off
don't feel comfortable telling their employers the real reason. Out of
the 30 percent of respondents who said their period pain was bad enough
that they stayed home, 68 percent said they didn't tell their supervisor
the real reason. Only 6 percent of the total respondents said that
they'd be comfortable discussing with their boss that period pain was
affecting their work.
There's still a
long way to go for most companies when it comes to acknowledging this,
however—and sadly, there's precedent for women to be nervous about
discussing debilitating period pain with their supervisors. Although some companies allow women to take period leave, other women have been fired for getting their period on the job. In June, a model was allegedly fired by Hyundai
after asking repeatedly (and not being allowed) to use the bathroom to
change her tampon during an auto show she was working (Hyundai said the
model was fired due to "poor performance"). More recently, a 911 call
taker was allegedly fired due to accidental period leaks at work.
To be clear, no one is asking for a ready supply of hot water bottles in the break room (although...), but a little understanding—and maybe not getting fired—would go a long way in corporate culture.
