Amazon-owned Whole Foods in hot water over firing staff for wearing BLM masks

Whole Foods finds itself in hot water for firing staff over wearing clothes with messages relating to the Black Lives Matter movement. File picture: Reuters/Rebecca Cook

Whole Foods finds itself in hot water for firing staff over wearing clothes with messages relating to the Black Lives Matter movement. File picture: Reuters/Rebecca Cook

Published Jul 23, 2020

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Just when Black lives matter movement debacle seems to have died down, it surfaces yet again as an Amazon-owned retail store finds itself in hot water for firing staff over wearing clothes with messages relating to the Black Lives Matter movement.

Whole Foods Market, which is owned by tech giant Amazon, faces a lawsuit by workers who claim the US supermarket is punishing them for wearing Black Lives Matter masks.

The complaint asked the court to strike down Whole Foods' policy and restrict the company from taking further action or retaliating against the workers. It also seeks back-pay for workers sent home for wearing the masks.

However according to BBC, Whole Foods denied firing a worker over the issue and would not comment on the legal action.

"While we cannot comment on pending litigation, it is critical to clarify that no team members have been terminated for wearing Black Lives Matter face masks or apparel," BBC reported the company to say.

The lawsuit says more than 40 Whole Foods employees at locations across the country have been punished for wearing the Black Lives Matter masks, which became popular amid the outcry over George Floyd's death at the hands of police.

The firm has faced repeated calls to do more to protect its supermarket and warehouse workers during the pandemic and been accused of retaliating against staff speaking out over the firm's environmental policies and coronavirus protections.

According to BBC, the firm has faced repeated calls to do more to protect its supermarket and warehouse workers during the pandemic.

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