Boss mocked women by stocking diapers instead of pads in the restroom. Their comeback was glorious

A woman working in a corporate office delivered the perfect comeback after her boss made a dismissive and offensive decision about menstrual care products in the workplace. In a video posted on July 11 by Louisa Melcher (@louisamelcher on Instagram), which gained one million views and almost 100k likes, she shared that last year, she and other women in her office signed a petition asking for free feminine hygiene products to be stocked in the restroom. Instead of responding with support or even basic respect, their male boss handed out diapers.

"He said, 'If you're gonna act like babies, then I'm gonna treat you like one,'" Melcher said in her video. She continued, frustrated, "So obviously I was like, yeah, you are unprecedented levels of fired, right?" The issue went to HR, and when the boss doubled down by saying, "It sops up the blood, doesn't it?", the male HR representative agreed. Nothing changed, that is, until a full year later, in the middle of a high-stakes client presentation. Melcher’s boss was leading a meeting with the company’s most important client, one responsible for more than half their annual revenue, when he unexpectedly suffered a severe nosebleed. Panicked and unprepared, he looked around for someone to grab him a tissue, when Melcher seized the moment and went into the women's room only to return with a diaper, the same ones he’d placed in the restroom.

"He's like, 'What is this?' And I say, 'It sops up the blood, doesn't it?'" she said. No one else in the room moved to help him, and the boss was left holding a diaper to his face for the entire duration of the meeting. By the next morning, feminine hygiene products were finally stocked in the restroom. While this seems like a minor change, industry research supports why access to menstrual products matters. A survey of certified Period Positive Workplaces found that more than half of menstruating employees reported productivity challenges due to menstrual symptoms, and 73% agreed their experience improved after their employer provided free period products.

In the caption, Melcher joked, "Rumor has it he’s trying to get me fired now, but I’m 90% sure that would be retaliation, so..." The incident struck a nerve online, and thousands of commenters expressed support for Melcher’s stand and her method. @isjustdrake commented, "As her coworker, I want to say that I stand in complete solidarity with her and all my fellow period-having coworkers." @witchfaeprincess wrote, "As an HR professional, I love this!! And shame on your HR representative! You should report him to his higher up."

@proverbs_14_7 added, "But you know what? If he HAD put feminine hygiene products in the bathroom, you could've handed him a tampon and that would have worked as well. Ask any EMT or doctor." @pntllvn noted, "And then they are questioning Gen Z for breaking common office culture like WTF even is this situation? Like, just chill with this for a year?? I mean wtf." @aditigoyal_13 penned, "I can't believe that the awareness around menstrual hygiene is so horribly low."

You can follow Louisa Melcher (@louisamelcher) on Instagram for more vlog-style content.