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'Just like an L-Plate': Coffee shop owner slammed for wanting female staff to wear red stickers during periods

He stated that he came up with the solution as one of his female employees was 'emotionally stressed and hormonal' due to periods

NORTH RYDE, SYDNEY: A coffee shop owner named Anthony has been slammed after he said that he wanted his female staff to wear a red sticker while they're on their periods. He said this on the 'Kyle and Jackie O show' while stating that he had problems with a female staff member who was having "women's issues."

Anthony stated that the woman was "emotionally stressed and hormonal" due to periods. He said that with the stickers, he could identify when they needed "extra space."

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"It's very difficult for guys to understand when someone’s going through a bit of a rough patch. So we had an issue between two staff that developed in front of customers, and we’ve got an outsourced HR company that we use," Anthony said. "And the outcome resulted in the female staff member explaining that her reaction was due to women’s issues and she was emotionally stressed and hormonal and all of that. So in order to avoid that, we thought it would be a good idea to wear a red sticker if you’re going through a period and just need a bit of understanding or space," he added. 

According to news.com.au, Kyle then asked how big the sticker would be. "Wait so, you actually want your female staff to wear a sticker that is letting staff know that they’re having their period?" the host asked. However, Jackie was shocked at the proposal and could be heard gasping. "No that’s kind of humiliating, women don’t want to have it advertised that ‘hey I’m on my period.' And they certainly wouldn’t want customers knowing that," she said.

Anthony was confident to state that menstruating women wearing a red sticker would be as similar to when a learner driver sticks an L-plate on their car. "Well, the way I see the whole thing is, if someone is learning to drive a car right, they stick an L-plate on the car. That’s not for their benefit, it’s for the people around them to give them some space and not toot the horn, and stress the person out. So it’s the same idea, just for women’s issues," he said.

"Men can use these too, right?"

Netizens were quick to respond to this bizarre proposal. A user stated on Twitter, "Just...apart from the obvious (NO F***ING WAY)...hormone related feeling plain awful can happen at any time if the month. No just when bleeding. I mean, how bout just treating women with respect ALL the time?". Another tweet read, "I’m old enough to remember when people had to wear a yellow sticker if they were unvaccinated in hospitals. 'An Australian cafe owner has been slammed after stating he wants his female staff to wear a red sticker while they are on their period.'"

A third user said, "And I am mostly a bit bitchier just before my period hits. Would I have a yellow sticker for that part? Does red sticker occur when the red starts flowing, or when PMS hits?" Another tweet read, "Men can use these too, right?"

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