Definitely Ladies Only

[Mulboyne]

Busrep: Femininity at the core of Toyota talks
Twelve days paid menstrual leave a year for women workers is among claims lodged with the Australian operations of Japanese car giant Toyota as part of upcoming pay talks, the metalworkers union said on Friday. Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) national secretary Doug Cameron said production line jobs were tough on some women during their monthly cycle and their problems should be recognised with a day's leave every month..."We have spoken to our male members who are 90 percent of the workforce at Toyota and they have said that they understand the issue and they are prepared to support this claim for the women, so it is a high priority claim for us," Cameron said...He said many of the female workers had complained that they suffered excessive cramps, headaches and nausea which meant they could not concentrate.

[gomichild]

Fair enough I reckon. The first day can be a real bitch.

[Mulboyne]

Labour Rights in Indonesia: What is Menstruation Leave?

Indonesian law states that every woman is entitled to two days unpaid menstrual leave per month.

Bleeding Rights: Menstruation Leave in Modern Japan

Japanese labor unions began demanding menstruation leave in the 1920s. By the late 1930s, at least two companies provided menstruation leave for their female workers, and the state followed suit in 1944, despite the climate for total war mobilization. After Japan's defeat in WWII, menstruation leave was codified in the Japanese Labor Standards Law.

[gomichild]

Actually as much as a trial to work at the Jpanese anime company they did allow for menstruation leave - possibly only though because the only 2 other women and I would make life hell for them during that time.

[Big Booger]

can men get jock itch leave?

[Samurai_Jerk]

What a load of bullshit. Women can use their sick leave or vacation time just like anyone else. I guess as long as they're willing to accept lower pay and being passed over for hiring or promotion it's OK. I can't believe their male coworkers support that shit.

[goldenboy_ge]

What a load of bullshit. Women can use their sick leave or vacation time just like anyone else. I guess as long as they're willing to accept lower pay and being passed over for hiring or promotion it's OK. I can't believe their male coworkers support that shit.

I fully agree with ya.

can men get jock itch leave?

...Maybe...

Overall, I didn't know that this could be a big issue. On the other hand it might be good, because it's really hard to work with a bad mooded female co-worker.

[Mels]

I think it is bullshit to get days off from work for the monthly cycle.
I dont have an issue on my cycle. Sure it may be uncomfortable the first two days..but I have never and would never use it as an excuse to skip work.

It is wrong and demeaning to women...we arent freaking weaklings that we need to be pampered with kid gloves. And when I do meet women who whine...which I have met at work, I would love to kick their assess.

Plus, most women I know that have the emotional ups and downs are on meds.....in my opinion. the average female (although she feel tired and uncomfortable) have no problems with their cycle and work or school.

This freaking situation is another excuse to make comments about women and treat women like idiots.

That pisses me off.

[Samurai_Jerk]

Mels,

I totally agree with you. To me this would seem anti-female and anti-feminist. If I were a woman I'd be offended by it. And if these poor weak little women really do believe that they need special treatment and deserve extra time off that men don't get, then they should never complain about unequal pay or male coworkers/superiors not taking them seriously. Not only is it unfair to men, it's unfair to women that are actually willing to suck it up and work because they have to cover for that person when they don't come in. This is especially ridiculous in Oz where they already get so much goddam paid leave anyway (Yes, I'm a jealous American worker bee).

For those of you who support this idea, do you think it'd be unreasonable for an employer to decide not to hire women on the basis that they will probably miss more days of work than men?

[Charles]

Bleeding Rights: Menstruation Leave in Modern Japan

Japanese labor unions began demanding menstruation leave in the 1920s. By the late 1930s, at least two companies provided menstruation leave for their female workers, and the state followed suit in 1944, despite the climate for total war mobilization. After Japan's defeat in WWII, menstruation leave was codified in the Japanese Labor Standards Law.

FYI: Menstruation Leave was eliminated when the Equal Employment Opportunity Law was enacted in 1986.

From the fascinating (and unfortunately out of print) book "Womansword: what Japanese Words Say About Women" in the entry under the Equal Employment Opportunity Law:

"Menstruation leave (seiri kyuka) is probably the most unusual benefit to be eliminated. Only South Korea and Indonesia still offer it. Such leave originated with the Japanese, who first granted it to members of an all-women volunteer corps during World War II. The practice of allowing a few days off to menstruating women each month became law in 1947. This institionalized system did not inspire women to celebrate their biological rhythms. Rather, most Japanese women felt too embarrassed to request the leave. Men in the 1980s began joking that they would take time off for seiri kyuka too. Seiri, a euphemism for menstruation that literally means 'physiology,' can be pronounced the same way but written differently to mean putting things in order. The man who takes a masculine seiri kyuka works at a far flung branch office apart from his family. Once or twice a month, he gets permission to trek home for a visit. He arrives with suitcases full of dirty underwear and sweaty socks, which he passes on to his wife. She gets them in order for him to carry back when his leave is over."

Note: this book was published in 1987 and I have no idea if Indonesia and S. Korea still have seiri kyuka. Somehow I doubt it still exists.

[Mulboyne]

I had heard of the law in Indonesia but I was suprised by its application in Japan. Thanks for digging out up-to-date information which I was clearly too lazy to do.

[Kuang_Grade]

[Marvin Feltcher]

Sorry!

[Steve Bildermann]

I think guys should get leave when women get menstrual.

..or more simply, just leave.

[Charles]

I had heard of the law in Indonesia but I was suprised by its application in Japan. Thanks for digging out up-to-date information which I was clearly too lazy to do.

I presume that remark was aimed at me. The first time I read it, I thought it said "..digging up out-of-date information.." ha.. The book is from 1987 so things might have changed, and you know how quickly these cultural matters change in Asia..

At least I have finally found one moment of practical value in that damn Japanese class when the teacher made us spend a month studying the Equal Employment Opportunity Law. My female teachers had a rather feminist agenda, since most of them left Japan after the bubble burst, seeking independence and a career. While this data about seiri kyuka and the EEOL may have been interesting (especially to the female students), I cannot think of any possible circumstance where this knowledge might be of any practical use to me personally.

[Marvin Feltcher]

Sorry!

[Charles]

It's funny you mention that. I've always regarded the silly period day off as another blatant example of feminist hypocrisy.

Well, to be fair to my feminist teachers, that stuff about seiri kyuka wasn't in her primary coursework, it was in a book I dug up for some extra research while doing a paper for the class.