Working in retail can be a challenging experience, but for some, the challenges extend beyond the usual customer service issues.

Haley Webber, a female employee at Bunnings—a popular Australian hardware store—recently took to social media to expose the rampant sexism she faced on the job.

Her story shed light on the broader issue of gender bias in traditionally male-dominated industries and raised questions about how companies can better support their female employees.

Webber revealed in a video that she was 'constantly overlooked' by customers who would 'bypass' her to seek assistance from her male colleagues.

In one instance, Webber recounted how a male customer refused to let her help him retrieve a 20kg bag from a high shelf.

An employee from Bunnings talked about sexism at her workplace. Image source: TikTok/@haley.webber.

'He was like, “No, you are not strong enough,”' she recalled.

Despite her reassurance that she was capable, the customer continued to view her as a 'feeble woman'.

'He looked at me like I was a weak little feeble woman who wouldn’t be able to handle it. It was only 20kg it is not that heavy.'

This incident, among others, left Webber feeling disheartened and undervalued.

While Webber acknowledged that these customers were likely not acting out of malice, the constant underestimation took a toll on her mental health, sending her into a 'spiral'.

Responding to Webber's revelations, Damian Zahra, Chief People Officer at Bunnings, expressed disappointment, saying: '[We are] really disappointed to hear one of our team members has experienced disrespectful behaviour, which is something we don’t tolerate in our stores.'

'We always encourage our team to raise any concerns they may have with us about issues they’re facing at work, and we have a range of measures in place to support them.'

This issue is particularly relevant in light of recent data that revealed a gender pay gap in nearly 5000 Australian companies.

Wesfarmers, the parent company of Bunnings, reported a median gender pay gap of 3.5 per cent for total remuneration, with the gap widening to 7 per cent at the base salary level.

Jenny Bryant, Wesfarmers’ Chief Human Resources Officer, attributed the pay gap to the lower number of women in technology roles at the company.

She also highlighted the company's initiatives to increase female representation in the workplace.

This included flexible working policies and women in leadership programs.

Key Takeaways

• A young female Bunnings worker has shared her experiences of sexism in the workplace through social media, stating that she is often bypassed and underestimated by customers.
• The worker, Haley Webber, recounted a specific incident where a customer doubted her strength to lift a 20kg bag despite her insistence that she was capable.
• Bunnings' Chief People Officer, Damian Zahra, expressed disappointment upon hearing about the disrespect faced by the team member and reinforced that disrespectful behaviour is not tolerated, urging staff to report any issues.
• Wesfarmers' (the parent company of Bunnings) emphasised ongoing efforts to increase female representation in the workforce, such as flexible working policies and women in leadership programs.

What are your thoughts on this issue? Let us know in the comments below!

 

[Bellclare]

Since it was a customer who was sexist, male staff need to step in & say she can lift items too, according to the current regulations. Also, when customers look to male staff for help, male staff need to include female staff in assisting the customers eg when seeking advice on matters, they need to treat female staff as being just as knowledgeable as male staff, and include them in the giving of advice. That way, over time, customers learn that female staff can be relied upon to give useful advice.

 

[Ezzy]

Only last week l purchased a 20 KG bag of tile adhesive at a Bunnings store. These were stacked from the floor to just below knee height but l still had to struggle to move it sideways onto the bottom of the trolley. Admittedly at 72 y.o. l am not as strong as l was but 20 kg is still a lot of weight for most people & l was told years ago by a rehabilitation company that people should not reach above their shoulders when placing or retrieving items. This would be more so with a heavy weight where the possibility of dropping the item onto the floor or yourself is a possibility.

 

[rachtrex]

I can understand the man in saying what he did. I do not think he meant to be offensive. He was just being polite in not expecting her to lift down what he wanted. Some people take offence too easily. My husband has found women in Bunnings to be very helpful & do know the products they sell. The majority of their staff are very friendly & helpful.

I don't think it was disrespect i think he was being Kind 20kg off a high shelf is alot for any person he could have offered to help her get it down, so she was still doing her Job

 

[NotPhilips]

I accidentally offended a lady one day by offering to assist her loading some stuff into her car and was told( 'im not crippled !) ive got to unlearn the manners a gentleman was taught....

I (female) would politely decline such an offer from a stranger (any gender). The operative word is "stranger". They might run off with my stuff; it does happen!

When necessary, I've asked Bunnings staff for help with heavy/bulky items and they've been great. But I decide when that's necessary.

 

[gamiry]

I accidentally offended a lady one day by offering to assist her loading some stuff into her car and was told( 'im not crippled !) ive got to unlearn the manners a gentleman was taught....

please don't lose your manners. They are rare today and people like me love you for them.