Indore, July 2021: Unlike men, women have to go through a cycle of biologically- driven pain that causes great discomfort at work. Most of the time, women have to disguise their menstrual-related leave as "sick leave". Menstrual Leave given at a workplace can give all the women employees psychological peace and comfort so that they can feel safe during these times and stay at home to rest. Moreover, acknowledging "Period leave" as a need outside of sick leave warrants is directly being addressed at the workplace.
Since the very beginning, Byloapp has been taking steps to redefine the workplace environment. And after intensively thinking upon moves to level up the productivity and wellness of the workforce, it brought up measures to ease up the problems faced by the female employees. With its initiative to provide 12 days of paid menstrual leave to all female employees, the startup has made a significant move in making the company a more empathetic workplace.
Menstruation and periods are something that women are still not so comfortable talking about, the topic is a bit stigmatized and women still feel uncomfortable in discussing problems related to it. An initiative like period leaves is much more than just leave from work. It is a statement that the organization is open to address such issues and there is no need for women to feel
ashamed about menstruation and talking about it.
The startup has become India’s 1st Hyperlocal Marketplace Search Engine and Central India’s 1st Startup to provide menstrual leave to female employees of the company. Being a startup Byloapp is fulfilling its responsibility of bringing change and providing real-time solutions to the problems in society.
According to Rohit Verma, the Founder, and CEO of Byloapp, “Menstruation is still considered to be an awkward subject. We feel that workplaces should be reshaped to acknowledge the needs of our female employees. The pain is a reaction to natural causes and one should not feel embarrassed or disgraced to discuss it. By taking the condition of women's menstrual health into account, we are very happy that we were among the first to initiate such measures for the intact veiled problem”.
He further adds, “We were ready for all kinds of responses that we would be getting when we initiated this policy, and I was very happy when everyone at our premises accepted this initiative positively. It has greatly enhanced the productivity of our female employees and their wellness. Also, it has made our workplace more open, collaborative, and supportive. We hope that our initiative inspires others too.”
Meenal Ramteke, an employee of the Byloapp expressing her joy with this move, says, “Because menstruation is still a taboo subject, I'm fortunate to work for a company that understands the need of taking a break when you're not feeling your best. My work productivity has improved significantly as I can take leave or work from home as per my own choice during periods."
Apoorva Singh, another employee of Byloapp says that "As a woman employee, I could not have been more elated! Menstruation is still a taboo topic, and Byloapp's one leave a month is not just a step towards a social change, but also can be a stepping stone for the entire young start-up and corporate industry collectively. And I am grateful that I am working in a company that has been a pioneer in taking this initiative"
This initiative has seen mixed responses throughout India, and many have opposed this initiative too. But its impact has been positive on the productivity and wellness of the female employees. Moreover, it has propelled more awareness about the topic in the workspace as well as in the corporate culture. Women feel more comfortable in talking about the issues they face among their colleagues and with the management. Also, in recent years a significant drop in the total female workforce is being observed. This is a matter of concern for the corporate world as well as the whole nation. To bring a change in this trend more steps like this are needed that encourage women to participate equally and make them feel comfortable and safe.
