The Left is first political group to give paid menstrual leave
Paid menstrual leave is now a reality for staff of the Left group in the European Parliament — following a five-month trial showing positive results.
"Just having it as an option when you need it instead of sick leave makes a big difference for me," said Anastasia Cojocaru, who works for the group and has had to take sick leave in the past because of a medical condition that can prevent her from working for several days in a row.
The pilot programme was introduced in October 2023 to improve the well-being of its staff — and reduce any stigma of menstruation.
"I did feel guilty before when I took sick leave for this issue. I thought it would negatively affect my relationship with my manager or colleagues," Cojocaru told EUobserver.
Menstrual leave has already been taken up by six different people and offers up to three days’ leave per month without a doctor’s note, as well as the option to work from home for additional days.
"We want our workplace to mirror the politics and principles we defend," said Francisco Orozco, secretary general of the leftwing parliamentary group. "This means creating a working environment that is inclusive and free of stigma."
Nine-out-of-ten employees surveyed by the group of The Left were positive about the implementation of such a policy.
The survey also highlighted that almost half of respondents had taken sick leave for menstrual pain during their working lives because they had no other option — and a few respondents expressed fear of negative repercussions.
"It shows that women often suffer physically but feel guilty about taking menstrual leave, so there’s definitely more work to be done to normalise these kinds of policies," Orozco commented on the survey results.
The Left in the parliament has only 92 employees but is calling on the other political groups and the European parliament’s administration to implement a similar policy.
However, the overall picture in the EU is not much brighter, as (paid) menstrual leave is still not a widespread reality for European women.
While menstrual leave has been part of Japanese labour law since 1947 (and is also available in countries such as South Korea or China), it was only last year that a single member state introduced paid menstrual leave.
Since June 2023, and following much controversy, Spain has allowed women with painful periods to take paid menstrual leave from work if they have been previously diagnosed by a doctor with a condition such as endometriosis.
In the first seven months, Spain has registered about ten times more menstrual leave than before the reform (in total, over 1,000 cases), but the number is still low compared to the total number of cases in the country — an estimated two million women suffer from endometriosis alone, according to media reports.
Previously, Italy tried to pass a bill in 2017 that would have given three paid days to working women experiencing painful periods, but it was unsuccessful, as too many concerns were raised about the potential negative consequences for female workers.
"The demand for female employees among companies might decrease, or women could be further penalised both in terms of salary and career advancement," Daniela Piazzalunga, an economist at research institute FBK-IRVAPP, told The Washington Post back then.
A survey carried out a few months before the Spanish reform was announced showed that although around 45 percent of women used painkillers and one-in-three felt the need to ask for leave or time off work due to menstruation, only half of them did so.