Italy's parliament is reportedly considering a law that could soon legalize paid menstrual leave for female workers. If approved in the coming months after deliberation, the European nation will be the first to offer period leave among western countries. Opposers of the bill, however, say this might not be a good idea.
The bill covers 60 to 90 percent of women experiencing debilitating menstrual cramps monthly. These women will have to present a medical certification if they want to avail of the paid leave benefit once the law takes effect.
Those who oppose the bill, however, raised a point that the law could promote a bias against women. Employers might choose to hire more men than women workers to avoid paying for paid menstrual leave, as per Washington Post.
Italian lawmakers want to implement paid menstrual leave https://t.co/R70rDIQGrX
— TIME (@TIME) March 29, 2017
As it is, Italian women struggle in the workplace as only 61 percent of women are currently employed. The rest of Europe averagely employ 72 percent of female workers, the Independent reported.
At least a quarter of pregnant women also experiences no job security in Italy. Their employers either fire them or no longer take them back after giving birth even as there are labor laws that protect these women of their rights, Business Insider reported.
The menstrual leave law is not a new concept in some Asian countries such as Japan that passed this policy in 1947 and South Korea passed their period law in 2001. Taiwan, Indonesia and certain provinces in China also have set similar laws. Meanwhile, multinational companies like Nike and Coexist established its own menstrual leave policy without waiting for the government to do so.
As an option, women with debilitating menstrual cramps usually use their paid sick leaves or take a day off from work without pay and many have been doing this for decades. Once a menstrual leave option becomes a law, then employers are mandated to apply it.
What do you think of this proposal? Would women in the U.S. also benefit from having a paid menstrual leave law? Share us your thoughts in the comments!
