Coles worker shares ‘amazing’ detail on her staff name badge

An employee at the Aussie supermarket took to TikTok after being “abused” at work – but another detail in her video caught attention.

A Coles worker who shared a video about being “abused” in stores has gone viral after people spotted a heartwarming detail on her uniform.

The TikTok user shared a tongue-in-cheek clip about how she deals with customers who “verbally abuse me over toilet paper” earlier this week.

But while many sympathised with her plight, others were taken by a detail on her signature red Coles uniform.

A small rainbow flag, the symbol of LGBTQ+ pride, was adorned on her name badge – and people loved it.

As a result of the reaction, the young employee created a second video, praising her employer for “letting employees wear a pride flag”.

A Coles worker took to TikTok to detail being ‘verbally abused’ by a customer … Picture: TikTok

… viewers were taken with her pride flag on her name badge. Picture: TikTok

Her video was quickly flooded with comments, many describing the sticker as “cute” and declaring: “I want one.”

“One of the best things about working for Coles,” one responded.

“IVE SEEN SOMEONE WITH ONE I WAS IN AWE,” a customer declared.

“Lowkey want to work there now,” another viewer said.

While one expressed their frustration at not getting a pride sticker yet: “I’ve been working at Coles for months now and I still don’t have one and I’ve been asking for ages.”

Others pointed out the inclusive gesture wasn’t something other supermarkets did, praising Coles for leading the way.

“As a Woolies worker who has the same old lady ask me if I’ve found a nice man yet, I am BEGGING Coles employees for a spare sticker,” one woman wrote.

“I have my own business but tempted to make name badges for the three of us that work from home for THIS,” another said before adding a rainbow flag emoji.

She proudly showed it off. Picture: TikTok

People were quick to praise the supermarket. Picture: TikTok

One person claimed it was such an important uniform detail, it made people change jobs: “Some staff at the coles I go to wear their pride flags it’s so cute.”

Sadly some supermarket workers detailed being abused from wearing theirs.

“Had a guy tell me it’s offensive and should be illegal,” one shared.

“I had someone ask me why I had one on my badge it was so awkward,” another said.

A Coles spokeswoman told news.com.au it wants to create an inclusive culture where all team members and customers can be their “authentic selves and where difference is celebrated”.

“Under the banner of Pride at Coles, we actively promote inclusion and equality for people in the LGBTIQA+ community all year round,” the spokesperson explained.

“We introduced Pride stickers for our team members to wear on their name badge several years ago to show their support of an inclusive culture and safe environment for our LGBTIQA+ team members and customers.”

Coles truck at the Big Gay Day, Brisbane in January last year. Picture: Renae Droop/RDW Photography

The spokesperson said the rainbow flag is a symbol of pride for the LGBTIQA+ community.

“[And] we have been thrilled with the number of team members who choose to show their support by attaching a rainbow sticker to their Coles name badge.”

It’s not the first time Coles has been praised for allowing employees to wear the pride flag on their name badges, with a gay woman revealing the little flag bought her to tears when she spotted first spotted one.

Queensland woman Jennifer Jeffries, from the Gold Coast, shared a picture of a name tag on Facebook in June 2019.

She explained she had stopped by Coles Express to buy some fuel for her car when she spotted the name tag, for a worker named Maria, with its proud a rainbow – and it brought her to tears.

A shopper had praised the flag stickers in the past. Picture: Facebook

“I came out as a gay woman 40 years ago. A very different world back then. This may seem insignificant to many however this rainbow flag on her badge means everything to me,” she wrote according to a report by Yahoo Sport Australia.

Ms Jeffries added “to be openly supported is huge” and thanked Coles.

“Equality is everything,” she wrote.

“We all deserve the same respect no matter who we are.”