Since March 8, 2022, Lucie Rouet, employee within the Toulouse company Louis, can benefit from one day of rest or teleworking per month in the event of painful periods. She tells us how she set up this menstrual leave and reveals its benefits.
- In January 2021, La Collective, a cooperative society, was the first to test optional menstrual leave.
- On December 15, 2022, Spanish MPs voted in favor of a bill creating menstrual leave for women with painful periods.
“During my periods, I have pain in my lower back, I am very tired, I suffer from migraines and intense spasms, which occur randomly”, confides Lucie Rouet, communications manager at Louis, a Haut-Garonne company specializing in the manufacture of eco-responsible office furniture. When these menstruation pains, called “dysmenorrhea”, arise, the 27-year-old young woman chooses to stay in telework. “Working at home during my painful period allows me to organize myself as I want, for example I can rest in the morning and carry out my tasks in the afternoon”, she declares.
Painful rules: “A medical proof is a constraint for this natural phenomenon!”
Within this company of about twenty employees, the Toulousaine is not the only employee who has the possibility of breathing a little during her menstruation. “Since March 8, 2022, International Women’s Day, menstrual leave has been offered to all menstruating people in the team. In other words, the company offers one day of telework or rest per additional month to women who suffer from dysmenorrhea. Since the implementation of leave, two cabinetmakers and my intern have often taken it”, explains the 20-year-old who brought this project to fruition.
To benefit from this rest day, employees must take unpaid leave, which is reimbursed by the company, on the Payfit application. “Nobody loses money at the end of the month”, specifies Lucie Rouet. According to her, the members of the team do not need to go to the doctor to justify their absence. “A medical document is a constraint for this natural phenomenon! In our company, everything is based on trust. Clearly, when you take a day off without pay for painful menstruation, you must specify in comments ‘CM’ (for menstrual leave) or ‘periods’ and notify our manager.”
According to the communication manager, this menstrual leave has made them feel better. “We are less anxious at the thought of knowing that we can rest. In addition, this day of rest or teleworking allows us to recover energy and come back the next day more fit, reactive and productive” , she points out.
Menstrual leave: “This project was not unanimous”
It was during the summer of 2021 that Lucie Rouet decided to speak for the first time about menstrual leave. “That year, our ‘offsite’ (ie a kind of seminar) was near Perpignan”. During a meeting, called “Ask Me Anything”, she dared to challenge Thomas Devineaux, director and founder of Louis, on the introduction of menstrual leave. “I had noticed that a cabinetmaker was regularly absent and had to take leave or sick leave because of her painful periods. Because of her disabling symptoms (vomiting, fatigue, loss of consciousness), she could not work in security”, says the Toulouse.
After speaking at this meeting, she realized that her male colleagues seated around the table were lowering their heads. “They were embarrassed and uncomfortable because menstruation is a taboo subject. I was apprehensive about the reaction of the founders of the company, but in the end Thomas gave me a positive answer. However, this project did not unanimity. At the beginning, two or three people were resistant to it”, remembers the young patient. After several meetings and a presentation on period pain at work, her colleagues changed their minds. “Some even said it was dangerous to carry heavy loads in these conditions.”
Before setting up this menstrual leave, Lucie Rouet had to write a consent charter and distribute it to the entire team. “100% of the signatures have been collected”, specifies the employee of Louis.