When Taylor Roberson, 26, was hospitalized for endometrial surgery three years ago, she was out of work for two weeks. At the time, she was a key-holder at a small boutique, responsible for opening and closing the store. Even though she had long suffered from debilitating period pain and needed this treatment, she felt anxious about the income she lost during her leave — and its impact on her earning potential. “When I was out for two weeks to have surgery, I never got my hours back up to what they had been before,” Roberson tells Refinery29.