Sasto Deal, an online shopping site in Nepal, has come up with a menstrual leave policy for its female staffs, which the company claims to be the first of its kind in Nepal.

Sasto Deal made the announcement, on Wednesday, through a Facebook post. The policy came into regulation from today.

‘We feel very proud to introduce a leave policy at #‎SD #‎SB called #‎MenstrualLeave.’ the post reads.

The policy lets the women staffs call in sick if they are unwell during their period. They can work from home if they wish to or take a day off. However, the leave will not be counted as sick leave.

‘The main reason why we had come up with the leave is because during the female monthly cycle staffs are more comfortable working from home and it will be a win-win situation for both the employees and the company,’ said PoonamPandeyRegmi, HR Manager at Sasto Deals.

There are currently 10 female and 19 male employees at Sasto Deal.

‘As a woman, I know what women go through during menstruating days. So I am really happy about this initiative,’ said ShahisaShrestha, an employee at Sasto Deals.

PallaviPayal, an activist, welcomed the initiative. "Nobody understood the pain behind periods. Everyone thought it was a routine event and did not care much," said Payal. "But this is a good start by Sasto Deal and other companies and offices should emulate it."

This initiative by Sasto Deal has garnered positive response in social media.