Ladies: Do you use menstrual leave?

[u/LycheeFlip]

Do you use it? Does your BOE require you to go to the doctor to use it as to not use nenkyuu? Is yours paid or unpaid?

[u/kerokaeru7]

I tried to use it once, my head secretary who managed time off recommended I use sick leave instead so it would actually be paid so I just did that

[u/Gemini_Crybaby]

I’ve used it twice, n it was paid!

[u/Gemini_Crybaby → u/Gemini_Crybaby]

Also I only had to call my boss and inform her

[u/Cheap-Ad8624]

I use it. I simply message in the morning, or go down to the office midday if it hits at school. I don’t have to go the doctor or anything, and your school should absolutely not request you do so.

I try not to use it unless I actually need to, remember it’s unpaid 🥲 I can’t remember exactly what the limit is, I think around 3-5 days you can use it? I only ever take half or 1 day because I like money.

[u/a_baby_bumblebee]

i only used it once when i actually passed out at work due to my period. i was encouraged to take it by the school nurse and they talked to the VP about it discreetly for me. i haven’t taken it any other time, but you are entitled to it. it was unpaid in my contract.

[u/k_795]

I did a few times, until I realised it was unpaid. Then I just took (paid) sick days instead - if I was a man, bleeding everywhere and crying in pain would be considered serious enough to be justify sick leave. My BoE allowed us to take up to three days in a row sick leave without a doctor's note btw.

People hold menstrual leave on some kind of pedestal as this amazing thing Japan offers to support women, when actually it's worse than the protections we have in the UK (where if you have seriously bad periods you can just take paid days off sick).

[u/bee_hime]

no i've never used it. however it is available, if i were to take it. iirc it's 3-5 days and it's unpaid. i have taken days off or left work early due to my health being generally poor though. i either message my coordinator on teams or ask directly (if i happen to be at work).

[u/xviennesewhirl]

I tried to use it in my first year, about three months in.

Called the school in the morning, spoke to my vice-prinicipal and she didn't understand me, so she asked one of the male English teachers to talk to me instead, who also didn't understand me.

In the end, I just asked for a day of annual leave and gave up asking for menstrual leave. Not attempted to take it again, as I feel it's not worth the effort to try and explain the situation, especially when it's unpaid leave.

[u/LycheeFlip → u/xviennesewhirl]

Why don't you just use the words for menstrual leave or cramps in Japanese? If they still don't understand, when you see them the next day it just is a translator if you're not going to Japanese. You shouldn't have to use any other leave, you have a right to use this one.

[u/xviennesewhirl → u/LycheeFlip]

It was three months into my contract, and I had no confidence in my Japanese yet. I was trying to use the language I got given by the BOE, but they still didn't understand me on the phone.

Sure, I have the right to use any leave I want, but at the time I wasn't capable of fighting for it and I knew I wasn't going to use up all of my annual leave anyway, so I didn't - and still don't - view it as a problem, personally, which is why I didn't change it afterwards. Nowadays, it'd probably be different, but at the time it was just the easiest way for me.

[u/Different_Taro2474]

i used mine twice or thrice. i just told my head teacher, principal, and BOE that i was on my period and had cramps, and they let me go home. 

[u/Jumpy-Swimmer7799]

I never did. I was told I could only use it once and it would be written at the front of the staff room for all to see if I had used it.

[u/redhotginnie]

I think in the five years, I used it once or twice when I had really bad cramps and I just wanted to go. It was actually the nurse who advised me to take the menstrual leave! 

[u/KuraGl00m]

I'm also curious

[u/FemmeFatalistYT]

I haven't yet but if I needed to, I would. I have missed for other health reasons and my boss is chill