Japan store reviews plan for staff to wear menstruation badges after outcry

J. FRONT RETAILING

28/11/2019 10:26

TOKYO, Nov 28 (Reuters) - A Japanese department store is
reconsidering a plan for employees to wear badges when they're
menstruating, which was originally aimed at fostering sympathy
among co-workers but triggered a public outcry.
    The Daimaru Umeda department store in Osaka said on Thursday
that it had hoped to encourage bonding by having menstruating
staff wear a badge featuring an existing manga character named
"Seiri Chan" - loosely translated as "Miss Period". 
    "We received many complaints from the public. Some of them
concerned harassment, and that was definitely not our intention.
We're reconsidering plans now," said a male executive who
declined to be named. A spokesperson was not immediately
available.
    The backlash comes as cases of workplace harassment have
come under the spotlight in Japan, amid a shrinking workforce
and changing values about gender roles and work-life balance.
Companies are increasingly and publicly being criticised for
bullying and gender discrimination.
    The Daimaru executive said the store had not intended to
make the badge compulsory. 
    

 (Reporting by Ritsuko Ando, Editing by William Maclean)
 ((Ritsuko.Ando@reuters.com; +81 3 6441 1743;))