This week, Reddit has the women of Slate pondering a question we never thought anyone would have to ask: What should you do when a co-worker regularly leaves menstrual stains on office furniture? In the popular women’s-oriented subreddit TwoXChromosomes, a woman using the username Awkwardstink complained about a co-worker who smells noticeably of menstrual blood and leaves bloodstains on chairs “just about every month now.”
Over the course of two updates, the plot thickened (sorry!). Awkwardstink left the co-worker, “Jennifer,” a note informing her that “there have been some complaints in the office about a lack of personal hygiene” and that she'd left a bag of pads and tampons in the bathroom for Jennifer’s personal use. Jennifer complained to their (male) boss, who “told her that the note was just about the nicest way to handle such a situation.”
The following week, the two co-workers hashed it out in a heated conversation. Jennifer said that she had learned from her mom that it was OK to wear pads for more than a day at a time (!), and demanded that Awkwardstink personally supply her with pads and tampons for the foreseeable future.
To get a full sense of the dysfunction of the poster’s office, you really have to read allthreechapters of this epic (and perhaps ongoing) miniseries. It’s very possible that Jennifer is deeply troubled and that her colleagues are doing their best to handle a delicate situation. However, there are two important lessons we all can draw from the saga of Jennifer and the Bloodied Chairs.
First, every workplace should provide free tampons and pads as a benefit to its menstruating employees. It boggles my mind that Jennifer's boss didn’t take the initiative to order a slew of pads and tampons, put it outside the women’s restroom, and announce the supplies as a new company benefit. It wouldn't have solved whatever is going on with Jennifer, but if you’re a boss, it’s in your best interest to make it as easy as possible for women in your office to to manage their periods. Having sanitary products readily available makes it easier for women to focus on their work instead of worrying about whether they’re bleeding through the makeshift wad of toilet paper they’ve stuffed in their underwear, and it will make it less likely that they’ll bleed all over your furniture, Ani DiFranco–style.
The second lesson is social rather than policy-oriented, and it’s something that many women (and men!) understand intuitively. If you see someone bleeding through her clothes, the kindest thing to do is pull her aside, tell her what's going on, and offer to help her find feminine hygiene products to stanch the flow and a sweater to wrap around her waist to hide the evidence. In 99 percent of cases, the recipient of this information will be grateful for your intervention. Same goes for food on your face, food in your teeth, open zippers, and bad cases of button-down boob gap. Don't write a note. Don't conspire with others. Just go straight to the source. It's not that hard to have somebody's back.
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The Principle of Least Interest: He who cares least about a relationship, controls it.
Gross. I'm disturbed by this. You should know by adulthood how to manage your period. Also, it is a company's responsibility to provide pads and tampons?
Ok. Now employers should provide pads and tampons?
Good Lord.
Talk about needing to take personal responsibility.
Yes. Sometimes, there is an accident.
Adults know you handle your business. And you don't make fun of others when they need to handle theirs.
I've had to clean up an accident.
I don't know a woman who hasn't at some point.
Poor personal hygiene needs to be addressed by the employer.
I've had to do it. It isn't fun and it is usually embarrassing to both.
But come on. Nut up people.
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A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
Ewwwwwwwwwwww. There are no words. And why does anyone have to buy another adult those things. Grow up and take care of it yourself.
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“You may shoot me with your words, you may cut me with your eyes, you may kill me with your hatefulness, but still, like air, I'll rise!” ― Maya Angelou
And if it's cultural to bleed all over then either learn our culture or culture yourself right back home.
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“You may shoot me with your words, you may cut me with your eyes, you may kill me with your hatefulness, but still, like air, I'll rise!” ― Maya Angelou
Gross. I'm disturbed by this. You should know by adulthood how to manage your period. Also, it is a company's responsibility to provide pads and tampons?
Are there still dispensers in Women's restrooms?
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The Principle of Least Interest: He who cares least about a relationship, controls it.
I'm never surprised by what people should know but don't.
Like, when you have a job, you have to show up before starting time, actually WORK until quitting time, and leave AFTER quitting time instead of before.
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The Principle of Least Interest: He who cares least about a relationship, controls it.
What were those things called? Diva cups that everyone on MM raved about?
Diva cups are THE BEST.
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“You may shoot me with your words, you may cut me with your eyes, you may kill me with your hatefulness, but still, like air, I'll rise!” ― Maya Angelou
I'm never surprised by what people should know but don't.
Like, when you have a job, you have to show up before starting time, actually WORK until quitting time, and leave AFTER quitting time instead of before.
Oh my gosh!
I had an employee I nick named Lil Lurly.
Every shift he asked the same question, "I came in a little early, can I leave a little early?"
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A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
Gross. I'm disturbed by this. You should know by adulthood how to manage your period. Also, it is a company's responsibility to provide pads and tampons?
That had to be sarcasm. HAD TO BE.
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LawyerLady
I can explain it to you, but I can't understand it for you.
I just can't imagine anyone NOT being mortified if it happened to them. Years ago, I underwent a procedure. The doctor did not cauterize it adequately after he was through, and a few days later, while at work, I began to "bleed out." I was horrified. I did manage to prevent any accidents thanks to a co-worker's stash.
A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
You want to call one a serious hygiene issue but the other is just a bodily fluid.
Aren't both bodily fluids? One an accident and one a deliberate assault.
But let's not confuse one with the other.
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A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
You want to call one a serious hygiene issue but the other is just a bodily fluid.
Aren't both bodily fluids? One an accident and one a deliberate assault.
But let's not confuse one with the other.
One is also being done by a schizophrenic already locked up in a jail cell and feeling terrified.
And the first one is NOT an accident. She KNOWS it is happening continuously and is not taking proper precautions to avoid it.
But, certainly, they should kill her instead of say....fire her. Just like they killed that other woman instead of say....sedating her.
The cell isn't a sealed box most of the time.
And so Flippin what is she is schizophrenic?
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A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
And let's not forget, LILY, that you posted my words from this thread over there. So who the hell was trying to be cute first?
Priceless.
Yeah. I did.
Your words contradict yourself.
One is a serious hygiene issue but the other is "just pee".
Bodily fluids are just that. So both are serious hygiene issues.
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A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
Gross. I'm disturbed by this. You should know by adulthood how to manage your period. Also, it is a company's responsibility to provide pads and tampons?
I don't know how this woman made it out of middle/high school without being humiliated monthly. I also imagine she can't keep a man around longer than a month.
I don't know how this woman made it out of middle/high school without being humiliated monthly. I also imagine she can't keep a man around longer than a month.
Maybe home-schooled.
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The Principle of Least Interest: He who cares least about a relationship, controls it.
And let's not forget, LILY, that you posted my words from this thread over there. So who the hell was trying to be cute first?
Priceless.
Yeah. I did.
Your words contradict yourself.
One is a serious hygiene issue but the other is "just pee".
Bodily fluids are just that. So both are serious hygiene issues.
Yes, one is "just pee". Grow up.
Although if one was throwing pee in the work place, they would be justified in firing her, I agree.
-- Edited by Lawyerlady on Wednesday 16th of September 2015 03:13:18 PM
If someone entered your office throwing their pee, you wouldn't care if they were schizo or not. You would flip out, call the police and demand they remove them immediately. You wouldn't give two shakes how.
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A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
Urine is mostly sterile, it carries very little in way of bacteria or communicable diseases.
Blood is, well, BLOOD. Not sterile. Full of nasty pathogens.
And yes, I have worked places that bought cheap pads and tampons in bulk and stocked the restroom with them. It was great.
Urine is mostly sterile, it carries very little in way of bacteria or communicable diseases. Blood is, well, BLOOD. Not sterile. Full of nasty pathogens. And yes, I have worked places that bought cheap pads and tampons in bulk and stocked the restroom with them. It was great.
And let's not forget, LILY, that you posted my words from this thread over there. So who the hell was trying to be cute first?
Priceless.
Yeah. I did.
Your words contradict yourself.
One is a serious hygiene issue but the other is "just pee".
Bodily fluids are just that. So both are serious hygiene issues.
Yes, one is "just pee". Grow up.
Although if one was throwing pee in the work place, they would be justified in firing her, I agree.
-- Edited by Lawyerlady on Wednesday 16th of September 2015 03:13:18 PM
If someone entered your office throwing their pee, you wouldn't care if they were schizo or not. You would flip out, call the police and demand they remove them immediately. You wouldn't give two shakes how.
Again, you can speak ONLY for yourself.
I sure as sh1t would not let the big bad police continue to taze someone...but then OUR police are reasonable & well-trained.
And let's not forget, LILY, that you posted my words from this thread over there. So who the hell was trying to be cute first?
Priceless.
Yeah. I did.
Your words contradict yourself.
One is a serious hygiene issue but the other is "just pee".
Bodily fluids are just that. So both are serious hygiene issues.
Yes, one is "just pee". Grow up.
Although if one was throwing pee in the work place, they would be justified in firing her, I agree.
-- Edited by Lawyerlady on Wednesday 16th of September 2015 03:13:18 PM
If someone entered your office throwing their pee, you wouldn't care if they were schizo or not. You would flip out, call the police and demand they remove them immediately. You wouldn't give two shakes how.
That is flat out NOT true. Do not project your attitude on me. And I sure as hell wouldn't expect them to taze them to death.
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LawyerLady
I can explain it to you, but I can't understand it for you.
“You may shoot me with your words, you may cut me with your eyes, you may kill me with your hatefulness, but still, like air, I'll rise!” ― Maya Angelou