Alasdair Thompson, New Zealand CEO, Fired After Linking Women's Workplace Productivity To Menstruation, Childbirth

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.

As the BBC is reporting, Alasdair Thompson of the Employers' and Manufacturers' Association (EMA) made the controversial comments on June 23 radio program. "Who takes the most sick leave? Women do, in general," he said during a debate on recent figures that showed New Zealand women were paid about 12 percent less than men. "Why? Because once a month they have sick problems. Not all of them, but some do. They have children that they have to take time off to go home and take leave of. Therefore it's their productivity. It's not their fault."

Thompson then went on to note, "I'm sorry, I don't like saying these things because it sounds like I'm sexist, but it's the facts of life."

Though Thompson reportedly apologized for the comments, that wasn't enough for EMA, which was quickly bombarded with calls to ax the CEO. “After having considered this matter for some time the board believes Mr Thompson is no longer able to continue as CEO of the organization,” EMA official Graham Mountfort said in a statement, according to the National Business Review. “We regret that Alasdair’s role with the EMA is ending in this manner, especially considering the contribution he has made over the past 12 years. However under the circumstances the board has had to make this difficult decision.”

New Zealand Women's Affairs Minister Hekia Parata told the BBC on Wednesday that people would be pleased there had been a resolution. "I think that it's been pretty clear from the response that the remarks made were unacceptable to a wide range of people and my own experience of talking to businesses and across the country is it was a generally felt view that they were unacceptable," she said.

Comments

[shatil2051]

03:16 PM on 08/20/2011

His answer doesn't adress the other women who don't take leave because of monthly sick problems or have children. The 12% less seems like it was an on the whole percentage so his comments don't justify the discrepancy in women who don't have those issues. Heck, even when I am sick I work from home anyway so I don't get behind. For that I should be paid more! lol

[lhanderson86]

08:24 PM on 07/07/2011

Come on guys... you never took a sick day to go to a ball game? Saying women take more days off is just silly. I know men who take days off all the time to go to sporting events. I wonder how many men were "sick" during the World Series. And how many guys have taken a "sick day" after New Years or Cinco de Mayo or the 4th of July because they drank too much beer and had a roaring hang over? Bah! I bet men and women take the same amount of time off (with the exception of maternity leave of course).

[IrieMoon]

09:44 AM on 07/07/2011

What about women who don't have babies and don't have painful menstrations...why do we get paid less?

[RaymondLuxuryYacht]

10:47 AM on 07/07/2011

What makes you so sure that you are paid less?

[IrieMoon]

10:56 AM on 07/07/2011

I've seen the proof.

[mylittlepwny]

08:00 AM on 07/07/2011

My ex suffered with very painful periods, and She did, on occassion, have to take time off with them. It did put alot of pressure on Her work relationship with Her boss, Who was Female btw.

[Carpetbagger 68]

09:45 AM on 07/07/2011

Your anecdotal example proves only that your ex-wife had a chronic, though not continuously debilitating, medical condition. There are a multitude of other conditions that also might cause a person to, occasionally, miss some work at inopportune times. And yes, these people also often find themselves at odds with bosses and coworkers because of it.

And I'll agree that missing a lot of work can seriously put you at a disadvantage in terms of having opportunities to shine in the workplace which lead to raises and promotions.

Thompson wasn't fired for suggesting that over all, people who miss work tend to be paid less. He said women were justifiably paid less because the fact that they have vaginas makes them miss more work. I've missed work for chronic ear infections. I presume that you've never been turned down a for a raise because you also have ears.

[mylittlepwny]

04:03 PM on 07/07/2011

He did mention children aswell. I agree with Him in some respects, and disagree in others.

[MaryfromIL]

02:52 PM on 07/09/2011

Loved the last line! f & f

[Little Princess]

05:21 AM on 07/07/2011

Ah, and we all know the old saying that we'd had died out if men were to give childbirth...

Any statistics on that sick leave thing?
Not in the article here or in BBC. But Mr. Thompson kind of knows "Who takes the most sick leave? Women do, in general,". Well, if that's related to earning same wage I'd want a study, complete with figures and split up to reasons for sick leaves and all. If there are none available in New Zealand or the US, European Health Insurance has the data available.

That said, why sack the guy? Why not give him opportunity to live and learn... everybody is entitled to say stupid things or make mistakes...

[RaymondLuxuryYacht]

06:24 AM on 07/07/2011

Little Princess: "Any statistics on that sick leave thing?"

There was a study reported by ScienceDaily:

"Women Take Almost 50 Percent More Short-Term Sick Leave Than Men"
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080204212846.htm

[Little Princess]

07:04 AM on 07/07/2011

Thank you. That is interesting, I should have liked a more detailed reporting of the study, though. But...

From the article:
"The researchers assessed periods of sick leave among almost 7000 municipal workers in Helsinki, Finland, between 2002 and 2005. The employees, who were all aged between 40 and 60, were also quizzed about their working lives and general health."

Tons of childbirths with women that age group, and menstruation is known to last till... when? 60 years old? Not a valid study for Mr. Tompson's argument IMO.

[MaryfromIL]

02:53 PM on 07/09/2011

What are the stats on LONG TERM disability? Be very surprised if men are not the winners of that study.

[bbackin2min]

04:21 AM on 07/07/2011

How can I trust anything that bleeds for three days and still lives.
Yes, you do turn into some other kind of creature, as a married man, I've seen this first hand. It's not a pretty sight either.

I know of a boat load of men who understand that women are trouble on ships. Too many have come up pregnant either by chance or by choice. Pregnancy has been and always will be used by women who want to get out of making a movement. Soldiers and Sailors alike, they can't handle the rigors of hard duty the same as men. Take the "Jessica Lynch" debacle for starters. Not a "G.I. Jane" so much as a "Pvt. Benjamin" Couldn't even get her weapon loaded. WTH!!

@GSR, You must be trying your humor on us.., right? You MOTHERS are blood sucking leaches on society. Looking after the child's welfare and mothering are economic inputs?? No fault divorce gives you all the opportunity to jump ship and shack up with a crackhead just because you are not satisfied that Hubby's earning power can't afford your habits.Then you use the family courts to steal the kids away from him and have the law force every nickle out of him. All this and he gets 2 weekends w/ the kids just to remind him how worthless you women really are. How about "fathering a child is an economic input"

[GSR]

07:02 AM on 07/07/2011

OK bbackin2min. Your powerful arguments against the other 50% of humanity, have convinced me to leave my wife of 27 years to go and live witchou. I'm makin' waffles.

[jpvt]

08:25 AM on 07/07/2011

Say it isn't so...please.

[Emmayonas]

02:33 AM on 07/07/2011

I hate this men obsession with women's menstruation. Does any one remember one American politician or military man who said something about women not being fit to serve in the navy because of their period or something like that. It is as if they think we turn into some other creatures that time of the month. God!

[Mister Neutron]

07:59 AM on 07/07/2011

Emmayonas: "I hate this men obsession with women's menstruati­on."

I agree. The whole menstruation thing is nothing but a red herring.

[RaymondLuxuryYacht]

10:20 AM on 07/07/2011

I see what you did there.

[MaryfromIL]

02:57 PM on 07/09/2011

Men's hormonal cycle is daily, women's is monthly. That is not surprising.

[GSR]

02:29 AM on 07/07/2011

Looking after children's welfare is an economic input. Mothering a child is an economic input. It's about time the economies started taking this as read.

[exflatlander]

09:17 PM on 07/08/2011

As I already said elsewhere, my bargain basement divorce lawyer told me to just quietly accept the rotten deal I was getting. Why? The (male) judges don't like women who leave their kids with a sitter to work, but also look down on women on welfare. I chose the former dead end, worked hard, cried when i had sick kids and still had to work, and juggled the two conflicting responsibilities as best as I couold. It paid off, but I also know I was lucky to have two geat kids.

[FeralForever]

11:24 PM on 07/08/2011

You are yet another unsung hero, Exflatlander. If men suddenly had to go through the same shi#y things women do to raise kids without help, there wouldn't be another generation of taxpayers to fuel this nation.

[MaryfromIL]

02:59 PM on 07/09/2011

My daughter was leaving for a trip to Europe on her own. I was busy making sure she was safe, getting contacts, talking it over with her. Her dad travels much, I don't, so I asked if he gave her any input.

Her comment was, "I'd be missing a month before he would notice".

[Kiwipaul]

02:23 AM on 07/07/2011

Same pay for the same job is what I say, which is what Alasdair Thompson says too.
Listen to what he said. Not what you think he means. http://www­.newstalkz­b.co.nz/po­dcasts/aud­io/2309555­6.mp3

[GSR]

02:13 AM on 07/07/2011

Women bleeding eh?
My wife was on her feet in court 4 weeks ago making lengthy submissions to the judge in a commercial matter, when she started bleeding profusely from the nose. She'd been having bleeding issues for a month and has since had the offending blood vessel cauterized .

She could easily have asked for an adjournment but with the constant application of tissues handed up from the Bar table she stemmed the tide and pushed on without missing a beat.

She charges a lot of money for a day in court, and was not going to allow the flow of her own blood to interrupt the flow of her submissions.

She got a decision in her clients favor.”

[imusintheevening]

02:04 AM on 07/07/2011

Enjoy the gardening, Alasdair.

[TakeSake]

11:17 PM on 07/06/2011

What he should have said is: "Women are less productive for a while once a month. Men are less productive all the time."

[imusintheevening]

02:04 AM on 07/07/2011

snap

[exflatlander]

09:21 PM on 07/08/2011

What he should have said is that maybe a minority of women suffer from their menstrual cycle, and it impacts their production for a day or two a month, but they make up for it the rest of the month.

[Ronnie Avatar Dixon]

10:37 PM on 07/06/2011

To factually state that (with evidence) women take more sick days due to menstruation and childbirth issues would be acceptable, but to link this to income is barbaric. Women shouldn't be paid lower due to these issues. In fact, women, as a group, shouldn't be paid less in general.

[Kiwipaul]

11:55 PM on 07/06/2011

Brilliant. You read the article and made an intelligent comment. One that I agree with as well.
For evidence see: http://www.statschat.org.nz/2011/07/01/do-women-really-take-more-sick-leave/

[RaymondLuxuryYacht]

06:51 AM on 07/07/2011

The stats you posted don't address baby leave. It seems pretty likely that the time and demands of having babies could contribute to a pay disparity. Having kids is more demanding for women than it is for men -- not only for the obvious reason that they're the ones carrying the baby but also because of the persistence of traditional gender roles which dictate that they're the ones who take time off when the kids are sick.

[DingoBuzzy]

10:10 PM on 07/06/2011

I'm waiting for the part where he actually conducted a scientific study?

[DingoBuzzy]

10:09 PM on 07/06/2011

Um no. Women take more sick leave because the cultural onus in on women to stay home when a child is sick.

[liberalbug]

11:33 PM on 07/06/2011

just like the cultural onus remains on the man to be the primary breadwinner?

[DingoBuzzy]

12:35 AM on 07/07/2011

Actually, yes. Gender roles were completely ignored in this man's "findings"

[shawondasse]

11:09 AM on 07/07/2011

Division of labor. But because one labor brings in cash while the other doesn't, people tend to devalue the contribution. IMHO, raising the next generation is work that you could never ever pay enough for. It is so far beyond cash value.

FYI, I'm female and I have always been the main breadwinner with every man I've been in a relationship with.