A woman’s Reddit post describing how her manager compared her severe menstrual cramps to a simple headache while refusing her request to work from home has triggered widespread discussion. She shared a screenshot of their chat along with a detailed caption, explaining that her request for remote work was denied even though she was in considerable pain.
Employee narrates her experience
In her post, the woman wrote, “Context: I asked for a WFH because my period days are horrible and its physically impossible to sit at a desk but can easily work if at home with heat pad and everything. Manager said no to my request and asked to manage as we had to do an urgent plant visit which couldnt happen any other day. I was heading this area so did not want to miss out on anything so managed to come somehow on the promise that I will get next day WFH for sure.”
She added that despite forcing herself to travel and work from the office in pain, her manager did not conduct the plant visit as planned because he was “too busy”. According to her, he later asked her to come again the next day and assured her that the visit would take place then. When she explained that her cramps were severe and travelling again would be extremely uncomfortable, her manager responded with what she described as a “legendary line”.
“He said that yes he understands as his head was also aching,” she wrote, adding that the comparison left her shocked and upset.
The post was shared under the headline, “Manager thinks headache and period cramps are the same.”
Social media reactions
The Reddit thread quickly filled with critical reactions from users who felt that the manager’s remark reflected a lack of empathy and awareness. Several users expressed their anger, while others shared similar experiences or urged her to escalate the issue.
One user said, “Maybe raise to HR. Not a huge help. But also could just ask them what the policies are for this behaviour or just ask it to their manager.” Another commented, “Try ignoring, idiots are everywhere.”
A third user wrote, “This makes me angry,” while another added, “This is very sad.” Someone else said, “I can relate to that.” Another user commented, “This is completely not acceptable.”