A more “period-friendly” work environment could avoid the shortcomings of a menstrual leave policy

“It should be illegal for women to work during their periods.” Bella Hadid’s hyperbolic and contentious take on menstrual leave, expressed in her 2025 Vogue article captures the frustration of half the global workforce that have to routinely manage period symptoms whilst at work.

For menstruators in some countries, there is now the option to take paid or unpaid menstrual leave. Taiwan, for example, allows women to take one day off per month but only for a maximum of 3 days per year. Indonesian women benefit from 2 days of paid leave each month, whilst South Korea grants women one day of unpaid leave per month.

After Spain became the first European country to pass a mandatory menstrual leave policy in February 2023, there was hope that the UK government would finally consider implementing a similar policy that would enable workers to take time off on their period.

However, as of April 2026, there is no statutory right to menstrual leave under UK employment law. A recent petition calling the government to introduce statutory paid menstrual leave for up to 3 days per month for people with endometriosis and adenomyosis received over 100,000 signatures but was rejected by Parliament.

Parliament justified its dismissal of the proposal on the grounds that their recent changes to statutory sick pay provide adequate support for people suffering from period symptoms. As of April 2026, employees who take time off work because of ill health are payable from the first full day of sickness absence. Before the Labour government’s changes, statutory sick pay only kicked in from the fourth consecutive day of illness.

Nevertheless, employees on sick leave receive only 80% of their average weekly earnings or the uprated weekly flat rate of £123.25, depending on which is lower. If menstruators have to take time off every month because of their periods, this could significantly affect their earning capacity.

Furthermore, a menstrual leave policy would help menstruators to share with their employers exactly why they are taking time off work periodically without feeling ashamed and increase their productivity by encouraging them to rest when they are unfit to work.

In fact, around two-thirds of UK women have experienced discomfort at work because of their periods. Many of them do not feel able to discuss their symptoms openly with their employers because they fear being dismissed or feel embarrassed.

On the other hand, there are researchers and employees who worry that menstrual leave would only serve to pathologize the normal female body and therefore risks reinforcing sexist beliefs in the workplace around the biological inferiority of women.

Ultimately, it could entice employers to indirectly discriminate against women because they may be perceived as being more expensive or unreliable as workers. Even if that were not the case, women’s fear of becoming a liability to their employers is stopping them from taking time off even when they have the option.

For example, between June 1, 2023 ,and February 3, 2025, only 2,668 women in Spain made use of the allowance. Similarly, in Japan, fewer than 1% of women use menstrual leave, and when they do, they describe facing discrimination and harassment.

There are also concerns that the policy could be abused by both employers and employees. In South Korea and Taiwan, employers have refused workers the leave and have demanded intrusive proof from them. In Spain, employees have to provide a doctor’s note for the leave to be approved, but the doctors are reliant on the patient being truthful about the symptoms of their condition.

Hence, even in countries where workers benefit from the leave, it does not seem to be addressing the needs of menstruators as well as it was intended to. On the contrary, it is setting up additional barriers for people whose period symptoms interfere with their capacity to work.

A better solution to a menstrual policy would be to focus on making workplaces more accessible in the first place to people who menstruate. The non-profit Menstrual Matters suggests that places of work in the UK currently do not have enough strategies in place to support employees on their periods.

The charity demands that employers should be providing their workers with free emergency period products (tampons, pads, ibuprofen, etc.), rest breaks, flexible working options and guidance on how to access quality medical advice.

A reasonably paid sick leave, coupled with a work environment that can accommodate the needs of menstruators, is likely to be a more favourable option than menstrual leave, as it would help to directly address the barriers to work for people who deal with heavy period symptoms each month.