Klasha Becomes First Tech Company In Nigeria To Implement Period Leave Policy
Klasha, an e-commerce firm with branches in San Francisco and Lagos, has implemented a new policy allowing female employees to take time off during their menstrual cycles. This is a first for any tech company in Nigeria.
Female employees at Klasha receive five days of paid menstruation leave per year in addition to the annual and sick days to which they are legally entitled. Klasha claims that it will assess how well the policy works and adjust the number of vacation days offered during the year.
Klasha made this adjustment to better support its female workers, who account for up to half of the company's permanent staff. Klasha also hopes to serve as an inspiration to others as she fights the stigma and misunderstanding that surrounds menstruation. In a news release given to TechCabal, Klasha CEO Jess Anuna said, "At Klasha, we understand that we must make room for women’s biological needs as a part of everyday business. Rather than leave the subject as an unspoken taboo, we want to build a culture of trust, truth, and acceptance."
Nonetheless, some women feel that by highlighting the biological differences between men and women, these restrictions promote increased discrimination based on gender in the workplace. They worry that taking more time off than their male coworkers may make them look less essential and capable and impede them from climbing the corporate ladder if such regulations are passed.
In response, Anuna clarifies that women are not required to take advantage of the menstrual leave policy if they do not like to. To the contrary, she stressed that Klasha is founded on the principle of celebrating and accommodating biological diversity rather than viewing it as a barrier to progress. She said, "We predict that in the future, we will see more companies adopting such policies, which will empower women, encourage workplace diversity, and have a positive effect on women’s career paths and development."
The widespread ignorance and underrated impact of menstrual symptoms on women's physical and mental health are reflected in the predominance of negative male reactions to menstrual leave policies.
Experts estimate that menstrual cramps account for almost nine days of lost productivity each year for the average woman. The severity of the symptoms may vary from person to person. Symptoms include abdominal pain, pelvic pain, headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, panic attacks, irritability, sadness, and anger. Exhaustion and sleeplessness are also symptoms.
Anuna, when asked how she planned to make sure everybody at Klasha was aware of the impartiality of this policy, responded, "Education on this topic, not just in the workplace but more widely is crucial. We want to lead by example and want our employees to understand the impact of menstruation."
"Menstruation is a part of life, and while society is still far from fully understanding what women go through, Klasha is delighted to be an early mover in this, especially in Africa, where very few such policies are in place," she went on to add in her statement.
There are currently no mandates for menstrual leave in the labor laws of Nigeria, where the company is situated. Only in Zambia may a woman take a monthly day off to deal with her period. The use of it is discouraged by many employers, even among their female staff. Some businesses are wary about granting women time off during menstruation out of concern that women could take advantage of the policy if it were available to them. Klasha's top management, which includes veterans of e-commerce giants like Amazon, PayPal, Wise, Shopify, and Net-a-Porter, seems not to care that much about policy misuse.
Anuna said, “We trust our team to use the policy as intended and don’t seek to confirm whether a team member is menstruating or not. Employees can book time off in our HR CRM autonomously without communicating directly with their manager and don’t have to provide reasons, notes, or proof."
Klasha, with backing from investors including Amex Ventures, has developed a suite of solutions that makes it easier to conduct business in local African currencies. KlashaWire, KlashaCheckout, Payment Links, and Klasha Business are some of its offerings. It has also developed a product aimed at end users; the Klasha App has been downloaded over 250,000 times and allows users to make in-app purchases from foreign retailers with the Klasha Visa Dollar Card.
According to the nearly three-year-old firm, the new menstrual leave policy is a purposeful effort to attract and keep contented individuals who are, in turn, more productive.