Cafe owner slammed for wanting employees to wear a red sticker if they are on their period

A cafe owner in Australia has been slammed for suggesting that he wants his staff to wear a red sticker while they are at work and are on their period.

The owner of the cafe, a man named Anthony, made the bold and controversial statement when he appeared on the Kyle and Jackie O radio show, who claimed that he was having a problem with his female staff who were feeling "emotionally stressed and hormonal."

He explained that there were two members of staff which whom he'd had specific problems with, that had played out in front of customers. As a result, he thought the stickers would be a simple solution to the issue and would warn customers and other members of staff that they require a bit of 'understanding or space.’

He told the show: "We had an issue between two staff that developed in front of customers, and we’ve got an outsourced HR company that we use. 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."

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The radio hosts had differing reactions to this idea with Kyle asking if the size of the sticker would indicate "what we’re dealing with." Jackie O, however, took the idea a bit more seriously and questioned the initiative. She said: "Wait so, you actually want your female staff to wear a sticker that is letting staff know that they’re having their period?”

Anthony claimed that the stickers were like learner plates for drivers. He added: "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."

Jackie criticised that notion calling it "humiliating" for women and that they shouldn't have to disclose personal information to anyone, especially customers.

Callers to the show were equally unimpressed. One said: "Anthony mate, seriously you’re a misogynist hardcore dude, you’ve got mummy issues.”

Others called the stickers "insensitive" while one caller reportedly called him a " d**kward."

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