CD Projekt Red’s distributor GOG implements menstrual leave
GOG says “menstrual leave fosters inclusiveness” at work.
Why You Should Care
Gaming distributor GOG has implemented menstrual leave.
Here's why you should consider doing the same.
The pandemic and the ‘Great Resignation‘ has led to HR, and the organizations they belong to, re-addressing policies and benefits.
One reassessment has been around menstrual leave. A 2021 survey from the Victorian Women’s Trust and Circle In, a HR software provider, found that 58% of the 3,500 people they surveyed have concerns about taking rest because of the toll of menstruation.
This has led to some companies changing how they address menstrual leave. Rather than offering no provisions, companies like GOG have begun to make a change.
GOG is a gaming digital distribution platform who have worked on games like The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077. The company’s parent company is one of the biggest gaming companies in the world: CD Projekt Red.
GOG’s menstrual leave policy
In a post on LinkedIn, GOG stated: “We’re happy to announce that, effective today, we’re implementing menstrual leave for all menstruating employees of GOG.
“Menstrual Leave fosters inclusiveness by accepting that there are biological differences in the workplace. By giving additional days off for those experiencing menstrual period pain, we acknowledge these symptoms are real.”
The company also added commentary on the implementation of menstrual leave: “Breaking taboos can only be done by speaking up and making an awkward topic a normal conversation.
“Implementing menstrual leave is yet another step towards making GOG an even more inclusive workplace, and we won’t stop in our continuous efforts to learn, reflect and improve on how we can do better for all of our Team members.”
According to Axios, the company believes that it will need to give employees an extra day off every quarter. Despite this expectation, employees will be able to take time “whenever period pains occur”.
This setup means that employees can take time off in hours or by the day.
Discussing the policy, culture and communication manager at GOG Gabriela Siemienkowicz told Axios said that it was “experimental in a sense that we plan to evaluate in what way those additional days off impact the wellbeing of our menstruating employees at the end of 2022, and consider expanding the policy in the upcoming year”.
The spark for this change of policy came about when Siemienkowicz broached the topic of menstrual leave at a “Women of GOG” meeting and found that many women wanted time off when they were in discomfort.
Siemienkowicz commented about the outlook of this change: “I can only hope that this policy will serve as a sign that GOG is an inclusive company that respects the individual needs of its employees and that everyone can feel both safe and appreciated here.”
The company sees this as having the potential to impact other businesses as well.
There have been those who disagree with the policy but the post by GOG attracted many positive comments from others, including Sara Cristina Machado, head of recruitment at hiring company Hitmaker said: “I never thought I would see this! Amazing initiative.”
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Senior Journalist
Dan combines his first-hand experience alongside the latest news and opinions in the HR Technology space.
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