E-petition relating to statutory menstrual leave for people with endometriosis and adenomyosis

E-petition 732342 to Introduce Statutory Menstrual Leave for People with Endometriosis & Adenomyosis received over 100,000 signatures and will be debated in Westminster Hall. The debate will be opened by Paul Davies MP (Lab) on behalf of the Petitions Committee.

The petition states: "We call on the UK Government to introduce statutory paid menstrual leave of up to 3 days per month for people with conditions such as endometriosis and adenomyosis, following the model introduced in Portugal in 2025."

In its response to the petition on 20 August 2025, the government said: "The government has no plans to introduce menstrual leave for those with endometriosis or adenomyosis. We know the hardship they cause. Our employment rights reforms will help manage health at work."

International comparisons Portugal (2025)

Law 32/2025 allows workers suffering from severe and disabling menstrual pain due to endometriosis or adenomyosis to take up to three consecutive days of paid leave. The employee must provide the employer with a medical note certifying endometriosis or adenomyosis with incapacitating pain.

Spain (2023)

Organic Law 1/2023 (PDF) introduced up to five days of paid leave for women who suffer severe menstrual pain, including pain due to conditions such as endometriosis or polycystic ovaries, as long as they have a doctor’s approval.

Zambia (2015)

Section 47 of the Employment Code Act No. 3 (PDF) allows women to take one day off each month without having to produce a medical certificate. The law does not specify whether the leave is paid or unpaid. The menstrual leave policy in Zambia is known as "Mother's Day".

Vietnam (2015)

Under Article 137(4) of the Labor Code No.45 (PDF) and Article 80(c) of Elaboration Of Some Articles Of The Labor Code On Working Conditions And Labor Relations Decree women are entitled to a 30-minute paid break each day during menstruation for at least 3 days a month. Employees who chose not to take the break are entitled to an additional payment.

Indonesia (2003)

Article 81 of Act no.13 on Manpower (PDF) allows women to take up to two days of menstrual leave. The act does not regulate the obligation to pay wages. Whether or not menstrual leave is paid depends on factors such as work agreement, company regulations or collective work agreement.

Taiwan (2002)

Article 14 of the Gender Equality in Employment Act established one day off per month for menstrual leave, up to a maximum of three days a year. If workers take more than three days of menstrual leave a year, it counts as regular sick leave. Workers receive only 50% of their wage during menstrual leave, mirroring the rules for sick leave.

South Korea (1953)

Article 73 of Labor Standards Act allows women to take one day of menstrual leave per month. This leave was originally paid leave, but the 2003 Labor Standards Act revision made it unpaid when it reduced the working week from 44 hours to 40 hours. However, some companies continue to pay menstrual leave in accordance with individual agreements with labour unions. Article 73 applies to workplaces of five or more regular employees.

Japan (1947)

Section 68 of the Labor Standards Act allows women to use leave if they experience physical distress from menstruation that is so severe that it makes attending work difficult. The policy does not specify the number of menstrual leave days that women are entitled to, nor whether the leave is paid or unpaid.

Countries that have considered, or are considering, the introduction of menstrual leave Brazil

On 28 October 2025, the Chamber of Deputies approved a bill that provides for paid menstrual leave of up to two consecutive days a month. To be entitled to paid menstrual leave, a worker will need to present a medical report. The bill is awaiting consideration by the Federal Senate.

India

Several private members’ bills have attempted to introduce menstrual leave on a federal level in India:

• The Menstrual Benefit Bill, 2017
• The Right to Menstrual Hygiene and Paid Leave Bill, 2019
• The Right Of Women To Menstrual Leave And Free Access To Menstrual Health Products Bill, 2022

Some Indian states already offer limited menstrual leave: Bihar (1992), Odisha (2024), Kerala (2023) and Karnataka (2025).

Italy

In 2016, four Democratic Party parliamentarians submitted Bill no. 3781 in the Chamber of Deputies to establish menstrual leave. The proposal would have allowed women to take up to three days off during menstruation without using sick leave or vacation time, while still receiving full pay, if they provided a medical certificate.

Legal framework in Great Britain Statutory Sick Pay

Until April 2026, a qualifying employee was entitled to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) if they have been ill for four or more consecutive days, provided they notify their employer within a prescribed deadline. The Employment Rights Act 2025 removed the four-day waiting period, so that eligible employees are entitled to SSP from their first full day of sickness absence. This measure came into force on 6 April 2026.

The weekly rate of SSP for 2026/27 is £123.25 or 80% of the employee’s average weekly earnings (whichever is lower).

Employees must give their employer a ‘fit note’ (sometimes called a ‘sick note’) if they have been ill for more than seven days in a row and have taken sick leave.

For more information, see section 25 of the Commons Library’s briefing on Key Employment Rights.

Disability and reasonable adjustments

Section 15 of the Equality Act 2010 prohibits treating a disabled worker unfavourably because of their disability.

The legal definition of a disability, given in section 6 of the Equality Act 2010, is an impairment that has a “substantial” and “long-term” adverse effect on someone’s “ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities”. In cases where endometriosis meets these conditions, it will be considered a disability.

The Equality Act requires employers to make “reasonable adjustments” for disabled employees to reduce or remove disadvantages that they face at work because of their disability. What counts as “reasonable” will vary on a case-by-case basis and will depend both on the needs of the individual and on the resources and circumstances of the employer.

For more information see the Commons Library’s briefing on Disability discrimination and the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service’s guidance on reasonable adjustments.

Flexible working

The statutory right to request flexible working entitles qualifying employees to ask their employers to change their terms and conditions of employment relating to their hours, times or location of work. A change could include, for example, working from home. Employees are protected from unfair dismissal and detriment for making statutory flexible working requests.

For more information, see the Commons Library’s briefing on Flexible Working.

Employment Rights Act 2025

The Employment Rights Act 2025 doesn’t explicitly address endometriosis or menstrual leave. However, the following measures could offer improved support for people experiencing complications related to endometriosis:

• Flexible working: the act introduces a clearer process for employers to follow when a request cannot be agreed. This will require employers to explain their rationale for denying a flexible working request. Employers will only be able to reject a flexible working request where it is reasonable to do so on the grounds of one (or more) of the eight business reasons already set out in primary legislation. These provision is expected to take effect in 2027).
• Statutory Sick Pay (SSP): the act removed the Lower Earnings Limit and the three-day waiting period for SSP, meaning that from 6 April 2026 employees will qualify for SSP from their first day of illness, regardless of income.
• Equality Action Plans: since the start of April 2026, employers with 250 or more employees have had the option of producing and publishing a voluntary action plan alongside their gender pay gap data. These action plans will become mandatory from spring 2027, subject to secondary legislation. Employers will have to choose at least one action that supports employees experiencing menopause. Guidance published by the Office for Equality and Opportunity adds that “The recommended actions may also benefit employees experiencing… endometriosis”.

Parliamentary material

• Endometriosis: Workplace Rights debate, 11 March 2026
• PQ 7720 [on Leave: Women],13 October 2025
• PQ 112288 [on Endometriosis: Employment], 18 February 2025

Media

• Endometriosis UK, Endometriosis UK responds to outcome of menstrual leave petition, 27 August 2025
• The Guardian, A year on, Spain’s ‘historic’ menstrual leave law has hardly been used. Why?, 4 June 2024
• The Times, Paid period leave is less progressive than it sounds, experts warn, 12 June 2023
• CNN, Should women be entitled to period leave? These countries think so, 20 November 2020
• The Guardian, Period policy in Asia: time off 'may be seen as a sign of weakness', 4 March 2016