Italy Could Soon Offer Women Paid ‘Menstrual Leave’

a reply to: VegHead

I tried not to laugh, sick time. Most places refuse to give cost of living raises. I don't see generous anything unless it is cuts in benefits.

as the executive oversight of an HR department, i get pretty familiar with FMLA.

Im not disagreeing that there is a reason for it. But do you know the workload required to complete FMLA paperwork? Do you believe a doctor should have to step in and vouch for a woman needing to miss work for menstrual cramps? Thats what FMLA is: your doctor fills out paperwork with restrictions and limitations. Does it seem reasonable? To me, it seems degrading.

The worst part: 90% of employees don't know what FMLA is, how they qualify, or how to use it. So we've taken something that seems relatively easy for the employer and employee to figure out, put the government in the middle, and made it harder and much more mysterious. Remember: half the population is dumber than the average person you know. Those are the people that we are thinking should be able to navigate FMLA without losing their jobs. Take it from me: if employers don't overlook stuff, most folks can't manage to get it done.

a reply to: seasonal

Oh just wonderful....like I need to have her home during that time each month...maybe I can just work O.T....

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

Just wanted to say - excellent post and points.
When I reflect on the hoops to jump through, the phone tree of calls to make sure everyone is on the same page, the updates to whatever contract, or explaining to a medical staff member what the situation is (after ALREADY TELLING FOUR OTHER PEOPLE WHO WORK THERE!) ... it is phenomenal to me that most people are not completely subsumed into madness with the details.


There is never going to be a "total database cloud copy" of any of us.
Hell, they can't even make sure the notes on our physician's tablet are accurate! Last visit to my GP, she said "you got a colonoscopy!" and I said "no! I didn't!"

this myth of cyber-file intel is just that - a myth.
In real life it's not like in the movies. Just like I always thought "House Debates" going on amongst the elected representatives (435 of them!) of us 'commoners' were attended by ALL of the reps, and the speeches were ALL eloquent, substantial, ovation-worthy, and intelligent.

But it turned out to be just a bunch of nervous people giving lame 'presentations' to a mostly empty chamber.
It was really sad.
C-SPAN....that is REAL news.

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

I don't think the govt should be in the fmla business. But businesses refuse to treat employees like humans, so they need to be forced.

originally posted by: Restricted
I bled to death six days a month. The pain was excruciating. I didn't know I had endometriosis for decades. When I was a young woman we gutted it out. We didn't take medication for pain and bloating.

To me, this is wonderful news for Italian women. Ever so slowly we are making progress.

Yup.

The pain of endo cannot be described in words....other than debilitating, yep that works.
Bravo Italia!

originally posted by: BuzzyWigs
a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

Just wanted to say - excellent post and points.
When I reflect on the hoops to jump through, the phone tree of calls to make sure everyone is on the same page, the updates to whatever contract, or explaining to a medical staff member what the situation is (after ALREADY TELLING FOUR OTHER PEOPLE WHO WORK THERE!) ... it is phenomenal to me that most people are not completely subsumed into madness with the details.

My MIL worked for the state as a housekeeper for 20 years to the day. When she had health problems, the trouble her employer gave her over the FMLA stuff caused her heart issues to exacerbate. The anxiety of losing the only thing she had (her retirement benefits) due to obtuse administrative clerks made it hard for her. My wife and her sister stepped in and straightened it all out. And she retired a couple months later. Her boss didn't appreciate her using FMLA apparently, so kept leaning harder on her (which made her use more). He was an idiot.

RE: the colonoscopy.....that would certainly be a surprise to learn you'd had one you didn't know about. LOL

originally posted by: seasonal
a reply to: VegHead

I tried not to laugh, sick time. Most places refuse to give cost of living raises. I don't see generous anything unless it is cuts in benefits.

Sorry, I guess husband is spoiled. He works for a company that does have really generous time off package. They treat their American employees like their German ones in those terms. After over 15 years in service he has almost 2 months of various flavors of time off he can take each year, and I might be short-changing that.

He always seems to have plenty of time off to take about half of December paid and never seems to be short of time he needs.

originally posted by: ketsuko
I know y'all are going to shoot me for pointing this out, but we ladies want to know why there is a so-called pay gap ...

We take off lots of time to have kids, lots of time to deal with our kids, and now we want up to three days every month to deal with our cycles too?

And that's not counting the standard time off package our male counterparts are getting.

Let's be real. We aren't going the same work because we aren't there as much. And no, I am not complaining.

I was thinking this, but didnt want to post it for fear of the flames. Lol!

a reply to: coop039 and ketsuko

Well get your flame retardant suits on you two! (kidding)

No.
Women being at work "less" is NOT why there is a pay gap. If a male or female is not at work on a given day or maternity/paternity leave they are at reduced or no pay, so that is not an excuse for overall pay gap what so ever.

I have a pro tip for an potential employers out there as a side note, hire newish mums returning to work in job share from home. The productivity is literally through the roof.....They work amazingly together, and twice as effectively than the office water cooler gang. I have quite the home-mama-bee factory growing, If I could show you the books you'd believe me!
Actually most of my people can work from home, I see little point in spending the money on large offices and their 2-3 hour time wasting for them to get to and from work, stress of traffic blah blah. Reduce the stress and increases the staff productivity.

Anyway I'm rambling, Period pain sucks !
Carry on.

a reply to: seasonal

So if this passes...and some Italian gent, whom self-identifies as a woman, demands menstruation leave and the company denies him/her ...can he sue for discrimination?

a reply to: IAMTAT

Guido, give it up.

You're working Friday and that's final!

originally posted by: DBCowboy
a reply to: IAMTAT

Guido, give it up.

You're working Friday and that's final!

"WASSAMATTA U?...IMAGONNA SUE!"

a reply to: IAMTAT

Point 1; You aren't even Italian.

Point 2; You are not a woman.

Point 3; We work at a maxipad factory in Pittsburg.

But you do look great in that dress.

originally posted by: DBCowboy
a reply to: IAMTAT

Point 1; You aren't even Italian.

Point 2; You are not a woman.

Point 3; We work at a maxipad factory in Pittsburg.

But you do look great in that dress.

...You didn't even MENTION my new pumps!
YOU MEN ARE PIGS!

*(The above comment is not to imply that any of us own a pig mask)*

How did I miss this thread? It's comedy gold XD

Anyway, this is pretty dumb. I do not need paid days off because I'm ragging, GTFO here. I can see this being a thing for people with legit, medically documented debilitating periods, but FFS, cramps don't equal functionally useless for the majority of women. This is just milking it.

Woman up, ladies.

a reply to: coop039

The reason for the "pay gap":

WOmen do not seek employment in higher paying fields as often as men. Men go into STEM and trades, women typically do not.

Outside that, pay scales are so standardized its hard to imagine that a woman would be paid less than a man by position. If they are....they should sue.