The feel-good PR agency’s policy entitles employees to paid leave for menstruation, menopause and miscarriage, in addition to the firm’s existing sick leave entitlements. Lem-uhn employees accrue an additional 10 days of paid personal leave per year for menstruation, menopause discomfort or in the event of a miscarriage. The entitlement is to be used if an employee is suffering from menstrual or menopause symptoms which interfere with their ability to work or in the event they suffer a miscarriage or pregnancy loss. Staff are also able to request to work from where is most comfortable for them, whether that be within the office or from home if needed during their period or due to menopause symptoms. 

Founder and Managing Director of Lem-uhn, Riannon Palmer commented, “Since we launched, I’ve taken it for granted that employees would feel comfortable to take sick leave if they were experiencing severe period pain or choose to work from home if that would be more comfortable for them. However, I realised that without an official policy in place employees might feel like they aren’t able to do this. As someone who knows that experiencing a period in the office can often come with shame as you have to hide your tampon on the way to the bathroom, or continue to work as normal while experiencing severe period pain, I feel workplaces should make adjustments to provide a better experience for people during all stages of their lives. We hope that introducing this policy will make life easier for wom*n and be part of the change to normalise the conversation about a natural and inevitable part of life for half of the population.”

Lem-uhn utilised Victorian Women’s Trust’s Menstrual Workplace Policy insight as inspiration for their policy. The research found that offering staff members experiencing menstruation or menopause the option to work flexibly leads to greater productivity and a happier work environment.