FEMALE workers may use the available sick leave benefit when experiencing period cramps every month instead of the proposed menstrual leave which could lead to gender discrimination when hiring, the Employers Confederation of the Philippines said yesterday.
Several lawmakers are pushing for House Bill 7758, a measure seeking to give female workers “menstrual leave” every month.
“They can use the other leaves available to them. Pwede nilang i-apply dun sa vacation and sick leave nila ‘yan,” ECOP president Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr. said.
Aside from that, women also have access to service incentive leave, maternity leave, solo parent leave, battered women or violence against women leave, gynecological leave, paid vacations, and other holidays, he said.
Ortiz-Luis said the proposed measure could also hurt smaller companies in terms of manpower and resources.
“‘Yung malalaking kumpanya, hindi naman problema ‘yan. Ang problema, ‘yung mga micro, ‘yung magdagdag ka lang ng konti a day eh problema na sa kanila eh,” he said.
Providing more leave credits to women may lead to gender preference and discrimination when hiring, he noted.
“Oo, ang problema riyan, maraming mawawalan ng trabaho. Sila ang unang matatamaan diyan, ang mga babae,” said Ortiz-Luis.
ECOP has yet to submit a position paper on the proposed measure, he said. (ABS-CBN News)
