A Kiwi company has introduced a new type of leave to their employees: period leave.
Pacific Media Network (PMN) has become one of the first New Zealand companies to introduce menstrual leave for their employees, giving 12 extra days of leave each year to E tū union members at PMN for period or menopause symptoms.
The change came about after Niu FM Announcer and E tū delegate Lusia Petelo battled for her workmates to get period leave after the idea was initially turned down by her boss last year.
But she managed to change his mind.
"[I] really just questioned the fact that if we are a media company and we share the amazingness of our Pacific people around the world who are making change why can't we be part of making that change within our four walls," Petelo told The Project.
Petelo says the discussion around menstruation in the workplace is being normalised and happening in a safe space.
She says male work colleagues are also backing the new implementation.
"They are supportive because they themselves have women in their own lives that experience menopause or menstrual."
Petelo hopes other workplaces will implement period leave to help their female employees.
"I hope the influence is a good one and that I see more workspaces have this," Petelo said.
"One thing for sure is I know that when I started this journey it started as me standing up for our collective, our people in our collective, then it went to standing up for the woman here in our Pacific Media Network office."
"Then I realised along the journey that this is a fight that I'm standing on behalf of just women in general and making change and so yes I do hope that the change happens here in Aotearoa… Not only just in Aotearoa but all around the world."
