Media Firm Offers Female Staff ‘First Day Of Period’ Leave

For long, it has been a matter of debate as to whether women should get a day off while menstruating. Surpassing all that, Culture Machine, a media company based in Mumbai, has gone ahead and announced paid leave for its female employees on the first day of their period. The company has about 75 female employees and this is a part of its policies to become a ‘women-friendly’ workspace.

“First day is obviously a not-so-comfortable day for most. It’s time we face the reality. This is not an embarrassment. This is part of life,” said Devleena S Majumder, president of human resource at Culture Machine.

The company announced the policy in the most fun way possible, by first recording the response of their women employees on camera about the discomfort they feel. Women can be heard saying how embarrassing it gets when they have to ask for a day off from their male bosses.

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They also explain what happens to them on the first day of their period like mood swings, nausea, cramps, stomach ache etc. the common symptoms of menstruation. But on the video, when they are told that now they can avail their first day of period as an off without having to lose out on pay, their response is all happy and joyous.

A male employee in the firm, Ruchir Joshi, head of content, says in the video, “Lot of times, I find men complaining about the fact that 'oh but she gets her period and gets a day off.. or gets to sit idle and not do any work'. But the realisation that we have to have is that we don’t understand that pain and we don’t go through it. And if we were to probably have that kind of discomfort, we would possibly not be coming to office or not be working at that point of time.”

The company has also started a petition to request the Ministry of Human Resource Development and Ministry of Women and Child Development, to implement this policy across India.