'Severe Menstrual Pain': Gen Z Employee’s Leave Email Goes Viral After Gurgaon CEO Shares It; Internet Divided

News viral 'Severe Menstrual Pain': Gen Z Employee’s Leave Email Goes Viral After Gurgaon CEO Shares It; Internet Divided

'Severe Menstrual Pain': Gen Z Employee’s Leave Email Goes Viral After Gurgaon CEO Shares It; Internet Divided

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Last Updated: August 18, 2026, 14:04 IST

A Gurgaon CEO defended an employee’s candid period-pain leave email, saying disclosure should remain voluntary as the post sparked a debate over workplace privacy and stigma

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An employee openly mentioning menstrual pain in a leave email has reignited a debate over workplace privacy (Image-LinkedIn/@jasveersingh)

An employee’s candid leave email citing “severe menstrual pain, cramps and discomfort" has sparked an online debate over workplace privacy, menstrual health and whether employees should be expected to explain personal reasons for taking leave.

Jasveer Singh, co-founder and CEO of dating app Knot Dating, recently shared a screenshot of the email on LinkedIn, describing it as an example of how Gen Z is making workplace conversations more direct and less awkward.

“Gen Z has killed a lot of unnecessary workplace awkwardness. They’re direct and straightforward about almost anything," Singh wrote while sharing the screenshot. He added that a decade ago, an email explicitly mentioning “severe menstrual pain" would have been uncommon.

The employee’s email said: “I won’t be able to come to the office today due to severe menstrual pain, cramps and discomfort." She also informed her employer that she would remain available through email and phone in case anything urgent came up.

“This was never really about menstrual pain; it was about how workplace conversations are changing with the new generation," Singh told Moneycontrol.

Singh said the employee works with Knot Dating’s technology team and that it was the first time he had received a leave request that was so open and specific about menstrual pain. Having spent nearly 15 years in the startup ecosystem, he said he had seen numerous leave requests in which employees generally used phrases such as “unwell" or “not feeling well."

According to Singh, what stood out to him was the employee’s apparent comfort in discussing something that many people may previously have avoided mentioning. He argued that menstruation is a normal biological process and should not automatically be treated as an uncomfortable subject at work.

“This was never really about menstrual pain. It was about saying things at work that people once hesitated to say," he further commented on the same LinkedIn post.

Internet reacts

The LinkedIn post soon attracted attention, with users offering different perspectives on workplace leave policies, menstrual leave and whether employees should disclose the reason for taking time off.

“If we’re finally comfortable talking about menstural pain at work, maybe it’s time we stopped treating menstural leave as an exception and make it an official policy!" said one user.

“Can you believe, in my most recent company, my WFH leave( taken on 1st day of periods due to heavy cramp) was denied by saying it was not pre-ppapproved. The hieght of LaLa companies! I better stay at home then such toxicity," said another.

However, some users questioned whether revealing the reason for leave was necessary in the first place. “Someone needs to educate “#GenZ" that it’s not necessary to tell the reason for taking leave, neither try to be viral all the time. 🙂 " said a third user.

“10 years back I was in PayU, in my team we never asked for a reason for leave or work from home. It’s not a gen Z thing. In a good company you dont ask the employee why they are taking a leave. Employees are better equipped to decide on the basis of their home as well as office situation. Just trust the employees," said a fourth.

“Not just Genz but people in upper management has improved in terms of reacting to e-mails. I mean when you give some space for your employee to share without judging them, that’s when real conversation happens. So not just on the employee side but I feel a lot has improved on the other side of the table as well," said another.

“I think a leave request saying personal reasons should suffice. There should be no obligation on individuals to disclose personal reason or circumstances. On the contrary, highlighting any reason indicates an obligation to do so and that is not a good sign of a healthy workplace," one more user wrote.

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Key Questions Answered Powered by Ask News18 Will menstrual leave become a standard workplace policy? The current reporting does not indicate whether menstrual leave will become a standard workplace policy. However, a recent viral email about menstrual pain has sparked debate on whether it should become an official policy. How does Gen Z influence workplace communication? Gen Z influences workplace communication by making it more direct and less awkward, often using informal language and personal expression. They expect open and transparent communication from managers, with feedback delivered constructively and frequently. Powered by Ask News18

First Published: August 18, 2026, 14:04 IST

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