Career

Italy to offer paid period leave for all female staff

The country is set to become the first in Europe to offer menstrual leave for all female employees.

MPs in Italy are debating a new bill that could offer three days of paid leave a month to female employees who suffer painful periods.

The Italian edition of Marie Claire has hailed the bill as a “bearer of progress and social sustainability,” but not everyone is so pleased.

As a country, Italy has a much lower rate of female workers than the rest of Europe, with only 61 per cent of women taking up employment.

Compare that with the European average of 72, and you can see there are vast differences between Italy and other, more equal work forces.

And manyfear the new bill could actually dissuade Italian employers from taking on women, when they are already underrepresented.

Period leave would give women three days a month without using their sick days

Economist Daniela Piazzalunga thinks all female employees could be penalised as a result of the move.

“Women are already taking days off because of menstrual pains, but the new law would allow them to do so without using sick leaves or other permits,” she told the Washington Post.

“The demand for female employees among companies might decrease, or women could be further penalised both in terms of salary and career advancement.”

And while Italy already offers good maternity leave for its employees, with women being granted five months mandatory leave at 80 per cent of their salary, this actually seems to work against them.

A report by ISTAT, Italy’s national bureau of statistics, found that almost 25 per cent of pregnant women were fired either during or right after their pregnancies, despite this being illegal.

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