The Run-Down: In the past few weeks, more and more businesses have announced new benefits regarding menstrual leave, abortion care, and more

1. This week, the founder of Antmyerp, an Indian-based software management company, announced they would now be offering paid 3 day menstrual leave for women at the company
2. This comes after companies around the U.S. have announced new policies to cover out of state abortion travel and other abortion-related benefits to workers after Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court

Why You Should Care:

At first glance, I was actually ready to give a standing ovation to these organizations. While some may argue actions like this should be the norm, policies like these are quite progressive considering historical and societal context. As we’ve discussed before, consumers look to the businesses they support to align with them morally. 

That being said, publicly supporting controversial topics can be alienating for a business. At the same time though, they can garner a whole new support system, if where they land on a certain topic brings in more potential clientele than it pushes away.

So internally, I was jumping for joy seeing companies recognize important topics like menstruation, abortion, and more. But the law nerd in me couldn’t allow me to enjoy this news for more than 30 seconds before the questions started popping up in my brain. When did it become acceptable for employees to reveal private information to their employers? Will it be required for people to disclose when they are menstruating, if they are seeking an abortion, or even more personal business? Who is considered a “woman” at these organizations? Will employees now have to disclose if they are trans or gender nonconforming or nonbinary? How will organizations deal with these new challenges to privacy?

With all of these questions and not much clarity, one thing is obvious: the workforce is forever changing and we all better be prepared to evolve with it.