GOG, Owned By Witcher Developer Is First Company To Enact Menstrual Leave

Period havers unite! If you’ve ever woken up with your stomach in knots, your head full of fog, your skin drained of life, and almost barfed from the pain of cramps, you know that Aunt Flow is a mean, mean lady. Some call it shark week, some call it the Red Badge of Courage, and now, some can call it a day off. I have been saying for years that people with awful periods should have a day or two off when “that time of the month” comes around. And the empaths at GOG agree.

GOG is the online gaming store owned by Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 developer CD Projekt Red. They announced menstrual leave for all employees on LinkedIn. (The professional networking platform, not Link from the Zelda franchise’s bed and breakfast.)

Their LinkedIn post says, “Menstrual Leave fosters inclusiveness by accepting that there are biological differences in the workplace. By giving additional days off for those experiencing menstrual period pain, we acknowledge these symptoms are real.”

The idea came about from a “Women of GOG” meeting, according to Axios. Gabriela Siemienkowicz, the culture and communication manager found that she and other employees all liked the idea, and if you’ve ever ruined a pair of jeans and had to run to the bathroom all day because your insides feel like they’re full of molten lead boa constrictors, you know why.

Why doesn’t every company do this? Everyone take note! Recognizing that there isn’t a set of one-size-fits-all workplace rules is an incredible step towards inclusion. No one should be made to sit through a meeting which could have been an email when they’re free bleeding out into the universe and cramping so bad they feel faint. So, thank you GOG, for setting a good example in an industry known for brutal working conditions.

Workers in the United States and Europe are fighting for more rights and battling big, powerful corporations to try and eke out a meager living. While some big, dystopian companies are out there busting unions and being comically evil, we, the gaming workers of the world, are demanding more rights. And companies with a soul are listening. This almost makes up for Cyberpunk,almost.