Small and Medium Enterprises Association (Samenta) president William Ng said such time off should be counted as medical leave that is granted to every employee equally.
“In fact, I don’t see the need for a new legislation to provide for leave specifically for such instances,” he told FMT.
Ng was commenting on a call by Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM) deputy president Haniza Mohamed Talha for the government to make it a requirement by law to allow menstrual leave for women who suffer severe period pain (or dysmenorrhea).
Haniza’s proposal came in the wake of a decision by the Spanish government to approve a bill granting women such leave.
Last week, the Spanish cabinet approved the draft of a law that would give workers the right to take paid leave if they suffer from severe menstrual pain.
The cost of such leave will be borne by the Spanish government rather than the employers.
Haniza pointed out that policy-makers across Asia have been reluctant to deal with the issue of menstrual health.
“Menstrual health is an integral part of women’s rights. Neglecting it is a disservice to half the population,” she said in a statement issued yesterday.
“Some women experience severe period pains, to the point where it causes headache, diarrhoea, dizziness, vomiting, pain down the legs or even fainting spells. It would be unfair to expect them to use up their annual medical leave quota for a condition that may recur monthly,” she added.
In his response, Ng stressed that the issue is not about the number of days a woman could take leave but about productivity.
“How can employers track and hold both themselves and employees responsible for meeting productivity targets as part of a shared prosperity agenda?” he asked.
According to a 2017 research on dysmenorrhea and working women by pollster YouGov, 86% of women reported that they had period pain, and 81% of those who had period pain but continued to work saw a drop in their ability to perform their duties.
Haniza called on the ministry of women, family and community development and the human resources ministry to set up a task force to look into the matter.
In Indonesia, women who suffer from acute period pain can take up to two days a month of menstrual leave. Other countries that also allow menstrual leave are South Korea, Japan and Taiwan.