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On air 1100GMT: Does menstruation affect how women work?

Robyn Bresnahan Robyn Bresnahan | 08:29 UK time, Thursday, 7 July 2011

Alasdair Thompson of the Employers and Manufacturers' Association said women take more sick leave due to menstruation.

This topic was discussed on World Have Your Say on 7 July, 2011. Listen to the programme.

The head of a major New Zealand employers' group has been fired after implying that women were paid less than men because they took more sick leave due to menstruation.

In a , Alasdair Thompson of the Employers and Manufacturers' Association said:

"Who takes the most sick leave? Women do, in general...why? Because once a month they have sick problems. I don't like saying these things because it sounds like I'm sexist, but it's the facts of life."

Should he have lost his job?

In a , 54 per cent of viewers said it was right he was sacked, while 47 per cent said it was an overreaction.

We posted that question on our yesterday and got a mixed bag of responses.


Carlos wrote, "Not at all. Is it politically correct? Of course not. But it is true without a doubt."

Cornel asks why "people can't say jack about women anymore?".

But Samuel from New Zealand says: "It's not true that a woman who die exactly the same job as a man should get paid less because she has 'women's problems' once a month. That's complete rubbish."

The story is mostly being tweeted in New Zealand, but has been picked up the , The and the .

What do you think? Should he have been sacked or were his comments just plain wrong, period?

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