Offering 12 days of reproductive leave to all Australian workers would cost approximately 30 times less than the cost of not having it, according to new research.
An interim report by the Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre estimated the country's lack of such an entitlement costs the economy up to $26.55 billion annually, due to absenteeism, loss of productivity while at work and other medical expenses.
In contrast, implementing reproductive leave as a universal entitlement would cost an estimated $920 million per year, it says.
The research was commissioned by the Health Services Union (HSU), Queensland Council of Trade Unions and superannuation fund Aware Super, and adds to growing calls for the measure to be introduced in Australia.
The estimated costs of implementing 12 days of reproductive leave as an employee entitlement, compared with not implementing it. Source: SBS News
"Providing access to paid leave will allow people to rest, heal and treat these conditions without worrying about the financial and workplace consequences of this choice."
But concerns remain about leave being used as a "blanket policy" for those managing diverse reproductive conditions.
What is reproductive leave?
Reproductive health leave is a workplace entitlement that provides employees with a certain number of paid days specifically allocated to treat and manage reproductive conditions or procedures.
This can have different inclusions, according to Dr Sarah White, chief executive of Jean Hailes, which provides health services for women. It mostly includes painful or irregular periods and menopause, but can refer to other conditions or procedures such as in-vitro fertilisation or vasectomies.
The interim report refers to a broad range of conditions, also including miscarriages and terminations, along with preventive reproductive health such as breast cancer and prostate cancer screening.
Who offers reproductive leave?
Menstrual leave policies are the most common form of reproductive health leave, the interim report says.
Menstrual leave was first implemented in the Soviet Union in 1922, with Japan and Indonesia following suit in 1947.
Spain is among the countries in recent years to have attracted attention for introducing menopause leave, being the first European country to vote on such a bill. Since then, many other countries have put the issue on the agenda.
Only four countries in the world provide women with access to menopause leave, and they have all legislated it after 2020, the report says.
It cites private sector companies such as Future Groups, Aware Super and Cbus, which offer menopause and menstrual leave.
In Queensland, public workers were granted 10 days of reproductive health leave per year last October.
"Some of the businesses who are offering this are putting it all together into one term of reproductive leave," White said.
"There's very uneven progress in terms of offering workplace flexibility around some of these women's health issues.
"We know there is a need, we're not entirely sure leave is the answer for everybody."
Leaving too many workers with a 'painful choice'
The interim report, released on Monday, adds to growing calls to implement a universal reproductive leave entitlement in Australia.
Introducing paid gender-inclusive leave — and changes to the Fair Work Act to ensure women can access flexible working arrangements during menopause — .
The report modelled estimated costs based on rates of reproductive health conditions, average days of missed work, employment rates, and wages.
The rough cost of not implementing reproductive leave includes the cost of absenteeism, loss of productivity while at work, medical expenses, the costs of carers, forgone wages and superannuation whenever available.
"Severe menstrual pain alone costs women nearly nine productive days a year, while those experiencing menopause with severe symptoms face a 25 per cent drop in productivity," the report states.
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Presenteeism, the act of working while unwell or in pain, significantly contributes to the estimated $26.6 billion estimated annual productivity loss.
Unlike absenteeism, where individuals take time off, presenteeism often results in reduced efficiency and prolonged suffering, as employees push through severe symptoms.
"The $26 billion annual cost isn't just an abstract number — it reflects real lives disrupted and real productivity lost," Marshall said.
“The current system leaves too many workers facing a painful choice: suffer in silence at work or take unpaid leave. Reproductive leave is about fairness, dignity, and economic sense."
The HSU is campaigning for the 12-day entitlement to be included in the national employment standards, which set minimum conditions for Australian workers.
If implemented, it would make Australia a global leader in reproductive leave policy.
Concerns over 'unintended consequences'
While White believes leave could help some, she questions its use as a "blanket policy" for all of those managing difficult reproductive conditions, such as ongoing severe symptoms of menopause.
"I have no doubt that for some women, leave will be a really important way to help reduce the impact of some of these issues on them. But we cannot just talk about leave alone," she said.
"We need to ensure that we're providing flexibility that works for individuals and not just a blanket policy on a certain number of days per annum."
The 2023 National Women's Health survey, run by Jean Hailes, offers a nationally representative sample of more than 3,200 Australian women aged 18 and over.
It found that 63 and 62 per cent of those surveyed supported additional paid leave for menstrual issues and menopause leave, respectively.
However, more than four in five women believed that employers or workmates may not be understanding of such a request — and more than three-quarters believed menstrual or menopause leave would be used as a reason to discriminate against them.
White said these "unintended consequences" would need to be addressed.
"Given some of these women will be in managerial positions, we cannot expect to introduce a leave without doing some of the work to prepare the ground for it," she said.
"We don't want to inadvertently create or deepen some of these hiring biases that we know are already in place."
The interim report identified multiple risks associated with implementing reproductive leave. Perpetuation of stereotypes and discrimination against women in the workplace were among the highest concerns.
It states other policies can be put in place to help workers mitigate the symptoms and increase wellbeing at work.
Government 'considering findings' from Senate inquiries
In relation to last year's inquiry into menopause and perimenopause, a spokesperson for the Department of Health confirmed the government is "considering the recommendations and will respond in due course".
A government spokesperson separately told SBS News it is aware of two recent Senate inquiries relating to reproductive health and that it is "considering the findings".
"In the meantime, we've implemented significant reforms to support women in the workplace, including expanding Paid Parental Leave to six months and ensuring superannuation is paid on it, boosting the wages of women in highly feminised industries like early education and aged care, as well as supporting increases to the minimum wage," they said.
The spokesperson said that in many workplaces, employees and employers already agree to appropriate flexible working arrangements, which can support employees to stay connected to the workforce and manage their health.
"Employees (other than casuals) are entitled to 10 days of personal/carer’s leave per year which can, in certain circumstances, be used for reproductive health concerns. Compassionate leave is available for employees who experience a miscarriage."
SBS News has contacted the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry for comment.
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— Additional reporting by the Australian Associated Press.
