Could 'menstrual leave' change the workplace?

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This benefit does exist for employees at some companies – it’s called ‘menstrual leave’. It allows workers who experience painful menstrual or menopause symptoms options for remote work and a set number of paid-leave days every year, on top of federally mandated paid vacation or sick leave.
Menstrual leave has existed in various forms around the world for at least a century: the Soviet Union introduced a national policy in 1922, Japan in 1947 and Indonesia in 1948. But it’s still rare in many large global economies, including the US, where Jessie lives. Now, however, a movement endorsing it is growing, as more and more companies around the world are starting to introduce the benefit.
If widely introduced, women, transgender and non-binary workers who menstruate stand to gain: they would have direct pathways to rest when they need it most, be happier and more productive at work as a result and find it easier to remain in the labour market. Yet, since menstrual leave has entered the global zeitgeist, some of its critics have argued that the benefit is unfair, or that it could further stigmatise people with periods. Does menstrual leave help or hinder workers who struggle without the leave they feel they need?

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