Can an employer ask this?

Evilm

Honestly? I wouldn't actually jump to that conclusion straight away but I can't hear his tone.

Its possible that there is another issue: OP's response could have been "Yes, the first weekend of the month I always host a two day event for charity. Correspondingly the next few days I'm really tired and distracted. I guess Its been showing in my work. I'm sorry and I'll look at sorting that out."

Its a hard subject to raise without actually sounding bad as most people would jump to the conclusion that they were referring to the 'cycle'. However its a thing that should be raised if it IS affecting work.

Sambucus_Nigra

tescobabe69 wrote: »

She is mistaken, but of course that doesnt matter.
You have a packet of jacobs on your manhood.

How do you know she is mistaken?

Reverbe

I'd be tempted to fire back a query about his prostate and then see how he feels..

Caroline73_2

Maybe there is a monthly job that the OP has to do and isn't putting as much effort to that task as all their other work. I have to do a monthly audit which isnt as important as other tasks but my seniors require it to be done. I am always less than enthusiastic about it!

tescobabe69

FOX_HOUND wrote: »

You really are disgusting. Normally, you attack the unemployed, poor and vulnerable on DT.

Now you suggest that I'm on these boards to pick up women.

For your information I'm in a long term relationship over 11 years. With no 'slip ups'. Behave yourself.

Not really, foxy, "jacobs on your manhood" i.e. f*ckin crackers.

tescobabe69

Sambucus_Nigra wrote: »

How do you know she is mistaken?

I dont , of course, but nothing in the information supplied suggests he was talking about her cycle.
I wonder what would have happened if the question had been posed by a thirty year old woman ?

mrsp80

If it was a sickness absence review and he's looking at your record and seeing a pattern of absence that looks to be linked to a monthly cycle, then it may be a legitimate question.

Otherwise, it's sex discrimination.

poet123

LadyMissA wrote: »

No he was assuming not asking

Psychic, are you? I'd never know if someone was having a health issue that affected their job

No, not pyschic, my colleague openly admits that she has issues with her periods, and it does adversely affect her work. She knows it, and all the team know it, but she expects it to be tolerated and accommodated.

FOX_HOUND wrote: »

I do know the facts. The op in the introduction gave us the facts. If someone came to me with tales I would tell them to stop gossiping.

So, if a team member raised a legitimate complaint about a colleague regarding this issue you would dismiss their concerns? Great management skills!

mrsp80 wrote: »

If it was a sickness absence review and he's looking at your record and seeing a pattern of absence that looks to be linked to a monthly cycle, then it may be a legitimate question.

Otherwise, it's sex discrimination.

He never referred to her monthly cycle, others have interpreted it that way, but if he had cause for concern either via performance tracking, sickness, or a staff complaint, is it not a valid question and one which needs to be addressed?

We are too quick to jump on the sex discrimination bandwagon here.

shoppingnoodles

mrsp80 wrote: »

If it was a sickness absence review and he's looking at your record and seeing a pattern of absence that looks to be linked to a monthly cycle, then it may be a legitimate question.

Otherwise, it's sex discrimination.

I've never been late or had a day off sick. My performance is literally streets ahead of my colleagues and my emplotyer said that by performing so well from the start that I "set the bar for my minimum performance" at a very high level, so I have to be judged if I fall below this.

mountainofdebt

Well this

shoppingnoodles wrote: »

My performance is literally streets ahead of my colleagues and my emplotyer said that by performing so well from the start that I "set the bar for my minimum performance" at a very high level, so I have to be judged if I fall below this.

slightly contradicts this

shoppingnoodles wrote: »

. I am their top performer, but his question came as he said that my performance was not always consistent.

So for some reason your performance isn't consistent (regardless of how brilliant it normal is) so your employer had a legitimate reason for asking the question and probably has noted a regular pattern to even contemplate asking the question.