Customer interaction management business Critizr has introduced a menstrual and miscarriage leave policy for its 100-plus employees, effective from this month.
The organisation, which has offices in the UK, France, Spain, Japan and the Netherlands, has introduced five days of leave in the event of a miscarriage during the first 22 weeks of pregnancy, two days if an employee’s spouse or partner suffers a miscarriage, whether they work at the firm or not, and one to two days of leave per month if a member of staff is experiencing dysmenorrhoea linked to endometriosis or another pathology, depending on what is necessary.
Critizr has introduced days off for any employee whose partner has suffered a miscarriage later on in the pregnancy as part of its recognition of the event’s impact and the need for more support to cope afterwards. An affected worker can inform the business of their period of absence by e-mail or any other means at their disposal, without requiring authorisation or a medical certificate.
According to the organisation, this reflects a global growing awareness that the business world needs more knowledge and respect for both the physical and psychological health of employees, and to evolve towards a space that favours equality between men and women.
Quebec and New Zealand have already introduced leave for women who suffer a miscarriage as well as for their spouses, and Spain has recently announced a bill to introduce menstrual leave.
Xavier Molinié, vice president of human resources at Critizr, said: “With these measures, we want to go beyond our legal and contractual obligations and support our employees during the difficult times they may be going through, when working can be difficult - if not impossible. We are proud to undertake this development in line with the benefits we have already implemented to give everyone the space and comfort to fulfil their potential.”
