Woman says she got in trouble at work for not concealing her new box of maxi pads. What on earth?
One workplace has a rather outdated view on periods.
Career advice columnist Alison Green of Ask a Manager was flummoxed by a recent question sent in by a female reader. Here’s why:
“One of my co-workers complained because she saw a package of maxi pads in the back seat of my car when she parked near me in our parking lot,” the anonymous woman wrote in. “I had stopped at the store on the way into work, and they were in a bag along with shampoo and toothpaste. I got a write-up for it by HR and my boss told me not to do it again and keep them private. I was actually shocked when I was spoken to about it.”
The woman asked for advice from Green, who, along with many of her readers, was outraged that she would be period-shamed at work — particularly over a private purchase.
“This is ridiculous and offensive and misogynist, and you should push back on it,” she advised. “Go back to HR and/or your boss and say, ‘I’d like you to remove that write-up from my file. There’s nothing inappropriate about having toiletries in my car, whether it’s a pack of toilet paper, a box of maxi pads, or a bottle of shampoo. There’s nothing dirty or shameful about feminine hygiene products, and we’re on awfully shaky ground in penalizing someone for having normal, everyday products in their car just because they happen to be for women. There is no reason that I should have a disciplinary note in my file about this.'”
For solutions to the quandary, Green also turned to her readers, who proved that revenge just might be a dish best served every 28 days.
Make a briefcase out of opened pads, containing a laptop made of pads, a pen made of tampons, and a legal pad made of pads. Ostentatiously pretend to take notes on the pad pad all day.
— LadyGrey (@sarahlynnnw) April 11, 2018
Tell your work if they don't want your feminine products around you're going to need them to authorize 3 to 5 extra paid vacation days per month.
— Charlie Fitzpatrick (@CharFitz83) April 12, 2018
To the girl complained, cover her car in maxi pads…. off the premises though
— Jennifer Moreland (@JMoreland82) April 13, 2018
Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:
Periods can be as painful as a heart attack, doctors confirm
Lisa Rinna and her daughter are both getting shamed over Coachella
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are using the royal wedding to help end the stigma of periods
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