Women call for legally backed period leave

Female workers in China are increasingly calling for the introduction of "period leave", which would allow them to take a few days off work to cope with menstrual pain. But experts say that without State-level legal backing, implementing such a policy remains challenging.

"I'd never heard of period leave until I saw related hot topics on Weibo earlier this year. If it becomes a reality, it would be a great workplace benefit," said Zhang Qi, a salesperson in Beijing.

The 28-year-old said she often suffers from lower back and abdominal pain during the first two days of her period, making it difficult to stand while selling cosmetics to customers.

"Many of my colleagues also have period pain, but we just endure it because taking sick leave means a pay deduction," she said.

Some provinces and cities have taken initial steps to support period leave by issuing guidelines aimed at protecting women's right to paid rest during menstrual cycles. However, experts caution that these government documents are largely advisory in nature and lack the force of law, making them difficult to enforce in practice.

Zhejiang province, for example, issued a women's labor protection guideline in 2017 requiring employers to grant up to two days of paid leave to women suffering from severe menstrual pain or heavy bleeding.

Other regions, including Shanghai, Guangdong province and Jiangxi province have also rolled out similar policies in recent years, though the length of leave and payment standards vary across jurisdictions.

The concept of period leave in China dates back to the 1990s, when several central government agencies — including the All-China Federation of Trade Unions and the former Ministry of Health — jointly issued a regulation requiring employers to grant one or two days of leave to women with severe symptoms, provided they present a hospital diagnosis.

A more recent regulation jointly issued last year by six central departments — including the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the National Health Commission and the All-China Federation of Trade Unions — also mentioned period leave.

But unlike marriage or maternity leave, which are clearly defined in China's labor laws, period leave is referenced only in guidelines or departmental regulations, said Yao Junchang, from the W&H Law Firm in Beijing.

"These are advocacy policies without legal binding force on employers. As a result, applying for period leave remains difficult," he said.

Currently, many women take sick leave to cope with menstrual pain, but Yao noted that obtaining a medical diagnosis is often inconvenient and employers may reject the request because period leave is not legally mandated.

"It's necessary to include period leave in the national labor law so that women can take time off without worry," he said.

Wang Yu, a doctor at Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital affiliated with Capital Medical University, told China Youth Daily that menstrual pain has long been viewed as a normal condition and is often not taken seriously.

She emphasized the importance of seeing a doctor when experiencing pain, as it could indicate an underlying medical condition. Even when not caused by disease, she said, menstrual pain is a harmful stimulus that can disrupt a woman's daily life, work or studies and deserves greater attention.