Hey Ladies: Co-workers May Be Tracking Your Period
- Funny
- Offensive
Time For Your Performance Revi-eww
September 8th, 2016 – Women have voiced many variations of the type of sexism they face in a male-heavy office environment over the years, but having their periods tracked is a new, murky addition. As originally shared by News.com.au, one woman, Elizabeth Daoud, recounts learning how her friend’s menses messes with men’s minds.
Daoud learned that her friend had gotten into a small argument that ended with a male colleague asking if she was on her period. When she answered yes and then questioned how he knew, she found out he had been tracking her cycle on his personal work calendar. He set reminders to go out to himself and other male co-workers to warn when her period was coming up.
“They want to stay away from me when I’m PMSing, because I get a bit moody,” she said.”
“It’s a good strategy to track her period cycle in order to avoid unnecessary situations,” another male co-worker stated anonymously to the author.
The female friend and the male colleague didn’t seem to make a big deal of workplace period tracking. When questioned if his behavior was appropriate for a work environment he said “Probably not, but I would like to think we are good friends and not just work mates. I’m just trying to stay away from trouble.”
Daoud, however, said her initial response was disbelief saying all she could muster at first was “Wait? What!” She continued on by mocking and scoffing at apps (PMS Buddy and iAmAMan) designed specifically for men who have to “suffer the monthly Psychotic Mood Shifts from their better halves.” Daoud did share another story where the male co-worker apologized to her friend after making her cry, but then followed that apology up by saying he wished she would have told him she was on her period at the time because it would have “saved [him] from apologizing so much!”
“He’s got a nickname for a period: ‘C63,’ named ‘after the Mercedez-Benz C63 that moves 0 to 60 in under 4 seconds … that’s how fast her mood will change.'”
The author closes her piece by echoing another writer’s request for an app that would warn women of when the “men in our lives are going to be jerks.” “It would certainly save a lot of headaches, don’t you think?” she said.