While Spanish deputies adopted last week, at first reading, a bill creating “menstrual leave” for women suffering from painful periods, a measure unprecedented in Europe, the Socialist Party (PS) is following suit.
In a statement published this Wednesday, the Socialist Party (PS) announces that it has set up a day of menstrual leave for employees of its national headquarters, located in Ivry-sur-Seine (Val-de-Marne). The party headquarters has about thirty employees, half of whom are women. “This right aims to improve the quality of life at work and more particularly the well-being of women subject to these difficulties”, argues the PS.
An “additional and optional” day off
It specifies that this “additional and optional” day of leave has been available “since November 7, 2022”, to deal with the constraints that employees “on permanent contracts, fixed-term contracts, work-study contracts or internships”, “encounter during periods of menstruation”.
This menstrual leave completes “the provision of free periodic protection”, another system already in place according to the press release.
According to an Ifop survey of October 2022, 65% of women in paid employment have already faced difficulties related to their periods at work, 53% of employees have painful periods and 35% declare that their menstrual pain negatively impacts their work. .