A British company says its female employees will now be permitted to take time off when they're menstruating, and it will not be considered as a regular sick day.Bex Baxter, the director of Coexist , told The Guardian she created so-called 'period policy' based on her own experiences with period cramps."If someone is in pain - no matter what kind - they are encouraged to go home. But, for us, we wanted a policy in place which recognises and allows women to take time for their body's natural cycle without putting this under the label of illness," said Baxter.Her decision comes after a new study found that 17 percent of women have missed work, school or other obligations during their periods due to stigma."For too long there's been a taboo surrounding periods - I have women staff telling me they're ashamed to admit they're in pain. I want us to break down that shame and replace the negativity with positivity," said Baxter.While the Coexist staff is mostly women (just seven of the 31 staffers are men), Baxter said everyone has embraced the idea and she believes it will make her staff more productive overall.