Employee takes menstrual leave, manager tells her to 'increase pain tolerance'

A woman has flagged a problematic comment by her manager on Reddit after he allegedly told her to “increase her pain tolerance” for taking menstrual leave.

In a post shared on r/IndianWorkplace titled “He said ‘Increase your pain tolerance’”, the woman said she had taken one sick leave each month over three months due to severe menstrual cramps that left her dizzy and unable to work.

She claimed that despite clearly mentioning the reason for her absence in emails, her manager called her into the office to question the leaves. During the conversation, he also compared her situation to that of his wife, saying that she continued to work during her periods.

When the employee explained that menstrual pain varies from person to person, she claimed the manager responded by telling her to “increase your pain tolerance.” The remark, she said, left her shocked and anxious about returning to work.

Read the post here:

“Insensitive and inappropriate” were the words that Reddit used to criticise the manager for his comment. Several advised her to escalate the matter to HR and senior leadership, arguing that medical leave should not be questioned or trivialised.

Other users urged her to refrain from justifying medical leave and reminded her that employees are entitled to take leave for health reasons. Many said that personal well-being should take precedence over workplace pressure.

In a follow-up comment, the woman revealed that she had resigned from the company. She also said that her manager now intends to deduct the cost of a work-related course from her final settlement, claiming it was not completed to his satisfaction. According to her, this condition was not mentioned in her offer letter.

She said that the organisation was run by her manager’s family, adding that involving HR or senior management was unlikely to help.