Taking leave to bleed: Perceptions and attitudes toward menstrual leave policy

Abstract

Menstrual leave is offered in some countries and companies; however, there is a lack of research examining perceptions or effects of the policy. We examined the U.S. public’s (N = 600) perceptions of a potential menstrual leave policy. Participants were asked open-ended questions about potential effects of menstrual leave in the U.S. Using thematic analysis, five themes emerged: (a) Supporting women and women in the workplace. (b) What do men get? (c) Concerns about the effects on the workplace. (d) Just deal with it [menstruation]. (e) This policy would make women look bad. These findings are important for policy makers to consider.

Notes

1 We intentionally chose to use the term ‘menstruator’ in order to be inclusive and to recognize that not all people who menstruate are women, and that not all women menstruate.