A Norwegian boss told his female staff they had to wear a red wristband when they were menstruating to explain why they visited the toilet so frequently.
The astonishing demand was revealed in a report by a workers’ union
into the “tyrannical” toilet rules amongst Norwegian companies.
The study claimed businesses were becoming obsessed with lost productivity due to employees spending too much time on the loo, current.com reported.
“Women quite justifiably feel humiliated by being tagged in this way,
so that all their colleagues are aware of this intimate detail of their
private life,” said the report by Parat union.
According to the report 66 per cent of managers made staff ask them for
an electronic key card to gain access to the toilets so they could
monitor their breaks.
Toilets in a third of companies were
placed under video surveillance, while others made staff sign a toilet
“visitors book”.
The report has been passed on to Norway’s chief consumer ombudsman, Bjorn Erik Thon
“Toilet Codes relating to menstrual cycles are clear violations of privacy and is very insulting to the people concerned,” he said.