A woman received a shocking text from her boss after she said she needed a day off because of her worsening endometriosis.
A woman received a shocking text from her boss after she said she needed a day off because of her worsening endometriosis.
An Australian woman has spoken out, revealing a horrible text message she received from her boss that caused her to quit her job on the spot.
Madeline Whittaker, who was working for a construction company in Adelaide in an administration role, suffers from endometriosis, a chronic and painful gynaecological condition that can affect anyone with a uterus.
During her employment she was upfront with her boss about her health issues, explaining that very occasionally she would need time off at short notice to deal with her chronic illness, but stressed she was a reliable and hard worker.
However, one Sunday night her condition flared up, causing her a lot of pain. She messaged her boss explaining she needed Monday off to manage her pain.
“Hey! I’m not fit to come into work tomorrow due to my endo/period. I will send a doctor’s certificate tomorrow and be back in on Tuesday. I’m so sorry for the inconvenience,” she messaged her boss.
“Please accept this as my formal resignation, Thanks, Madeline,” she quickly responded.
Madeline Whittaker quit on the spot.
Speaking to news.com.au, Whittaker explained her boss never really understood or tried to comprehend endometriosis and she never felt comfortable taking the time she needed to manage her condition.
His callous response shook her, and she explained that his lack of understanding played a part in her quitting on the spot.
“I felt small, I felt betrayed and like my rights had been taken away,” she said.
What is endometriosis?
Endometriosis affects an estimated 120,000 Kiwi women — 1 in every 10 — and 176 million worldwide.
The chronic condition causes tissue similar to the lining of the uterus (endometrium) to grow outside of the organ. The tissue, which has been found on every major organ of the body, often spreads to the bowel and fallopian tubes, causing extreme pain, heavy bleeding and, in many cases, infertility.
There’s also no known cure, and all pharmaceutical treatments available are palliative, meaning they are only used to make people with the condition more comfortable.
The only way to diagnose endometriosis is via surgery and there is currently a delay of 8.7 years to diagnose endometriosis in New Zealand.
During the time in which endometriosis patients do not have a confirmed diagnosis, 3 in 4 will be misdiagnosed with a different disease that they do not have, according to Endometriosis New Zealand.
On average it takes a patient five GP visits for them to be referred to receive a diagnosis.
She was left reeling and believes she was let go because of her need for time off for surgery, not because she wasn’t meeting expectations at her job.
Endometriosis at a glance. Photo / Endometriosis New Zealand.
Countries offering menstrual leave
As of December 2023, eight countries legally provide menstrual leave.
In 1947, Japan introduced menstrual leave, mandating that employers cannot ask women to work on days where they were impacted by menstrual issues.
Indonesia also introduced the policy in 1948 and restructured the policy in 2003 stating female workers experiencing menstrual pain are not obliged to work on the first two days of their cycle.
Taiwan passed legislation in 2013 allowing female workers three days of paid menstrual leave per year, while in 2015 Zambia provided female employees with one day of menstrual leave per month without giving a reason or requiring a medical certificate.
In 2023, women in Spain now have the right to three days of menstrual leave a month — with the option of extending it to five days — if they experience painful periods
