Companies in Anhui province will start giving employees a one- to two-day menstrual leave starting next month, a move already implemented in neighboring provinces Hubei and Hainan. 

According to government officials, the new rule was decided during its 67th annual meeting in January. The new policy, which will take effect in March, will allow women who are suffering from painful cramps to take between one and two days off.

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The new regulation, however, stipulates that women must first obtain a certificate from an attending physicians before the company would grant the leave application. 

In the provinces of Hubei and Hainan, where this rule was first promulgated, it has been taken time to catch up. Hainan province did not made it mandatory, allowing some employers not to adhere to the new regulation. But in Anhui, local media report that fines will be imposed if companies refuse to follow the policy.

Guangdong province, on the other hand, is conducting a consultation and trial period. It is still uncertain if the law will be passed this December.

Other measures covered in the meeting include maternity leave and breastfeeding leave, which allows mothers with infants below one year old to have a one hour per day leave. 

However, there are several controversies surround the latest policy. Some gynecologists believe it will be difficult to assess patient's level of pain to determine if they are eligible for leave. 

Furthermore, a study performed in 2015 revealed that about 20 percent of women are less likely to use the opportunity for reasons such as exposing their private lives and delaying their works. On the other hand, for employers, granting women leave would mean extra costs in operation, leaving a possibility of hiring fewer female workers.

Chinese netizens have noted on Weibo that although this policy intends to protect women's rights, it might also result in work discrimination. One netizen wrote "I think this regulation will make it even harder for women to find jobs." 

Tagschina, Anhui Province, paid menstrual leave