Whole Foods sends workers home due to BLM face masks - should they?

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A group of Whole Foods employees in a Boston-area store walked out to protest the company's policy that prevented them from wearing Black Lives Matter masks.

Seven workers at the chain's Cambridge, Massachusetts, store posed in a picture Wednesday that they posted on Twitter, in which they claimed Whole Foods cares "about the business their racist customers give them more than spreading a peaceful yet important message." The employees say the protest was in response to the store's manager decision not to let them wear the gear.

In response to the manager's decision, Whole Foods said in a statement that all employees "must comply with our longstanding company dress code, which prohibits clothing with visible slogans, messages, logos or advertising that are not company-related."

"Team members with face masks that do not comply with dress code are always offered new face masks," a Whole Foods spokesperson said. "Team members are unable to work until the comply with dress code."
https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/26/business/whole-foods-black-lives-matters-employees-trnd/index.html

What are you thoughts on this? At first I am thinking let them go ahead and where it; really what is the big deal? Then someone pointed out they need to do this because now what happens if someone wears a "blue lives matter" - then you gotta let them wear it; then what if someone wears a maga one - to be fair you would need to let them wear that - --- it could progress to violence depending on people's viewpoints.

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@Linkat,

At first glance, it would seem wrong to send them home. On further inspection, employees signed away the individuality and agreed not to wear any item which can be viewed as a slogan, logo or endorsement of something other than Whole Foods.

As to the employees charge that Whole Foods is more interested in business from 'racist customers ', would the employees be of the same mind if a co-worker came in with a face mask which had a swastika or confederate flag on it and was offered a plain mask or else go home? Would the employees then want others at the job to be able to express
themselves? Dress codes are put in place for a reason.

If the employees want to protest for Black Lives Matters, there are many venues where this can be done.

The employees, might also want to realize that there actions are actually harming funding for Black Lives Matters. Whole Foods is owned by Amazon, which is and has been contributing financially towards Black Lives Matters.

www.newsweek.com/whole-foods-employees-protest-black-lives-matters-face-masks-1513657

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@Sturgis,

Starbucks recently went through a similar thing - where they banned BLM stuff now they reversed it.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/12/business/starbucks-blm-ban-reversed.html

Not sure if this is a good thing because now like you said another employee could come in with something else maybe that almost opposes BLM and now it would not be right for them not to allow this employee to have whatever/he wanted.

Maybe it is a matter of what is "popular" to support at the time? Or what they deem to be a positive perspective to support?

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@Linkat,

I don't want to go to a store and be given a a political schpiel.
What next, religious beliefs? Sexual orientation beliefs?

A person is supposed to be focused on the job, not an outside issue or interest. I have no objection to them taking part, or leading other activities, but, not in the workplace.

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@Sturgis,

devil's advocate - what about sports players - they are on the job - like kneeling and wearing certain things like a color or something as a symbol?

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@Linkat,

Kneeling or staying seated during the National Anthem doesn't bother me as much as having clothing adornments to push their cause. Ultimately, this is something that the leagues and owners need to decide upon. If it is in the contract to not do it, then don't.

When it comes to players wearing something with a different color on it, that reminds me of gangs, so none of that should be worn while playing.

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i definitely wouldn't want to see a MAGA hat.

i realize i can't have it both ways, so no BLM masks either...

1 Reply

@Region Philbis,

I think that is what clinched it for me....you can't say it is OK for one and then not the other. So this is probably why companies have such rules.
When it was pointed out well what would happen if someone then came in with blue lives matter or maga. You would can't have it both ways

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MAGA and Blue Lives Matter are actually positive symbols.

Black Lives Matter is all about murdering police officers. Not good at all.

I can see allowing one set and not the other. But Black Lives Matter is not the one that I would allow.

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@Sturgis,

Yours is exactly like one argument made against Kaepernick kneeling.

Kinda thin, IMO.

[edit]I see I’m late with my observation.
But is protesting with an action (kneeling) while on the job ok with you, but wearing a tshirt ( like NBA players did wearing BLM tshirts during warmups) - that’s not ok?

1 Reply

@snood,

It's fine by me.

1 Reply

@Sturgis,

You were saying you didn’t want to go in a store and see people wearing protest garb. What’s the difference between that and the athletes?

1 Reply

@snood,

It is not about the athletes. My statement was about clothing items and that would for me, include wearing a patch, pin, scarf and such which endorses or speaks against someone or something. The same as not wanting to find store employees or athletes or people attending award shows wearing any sort of political statement.

The kneeling down or sitting during the National Anthem, does not connect or bother me in that way. It is, I realize a political statement for many. I suppose some of thinking goes back to growing up. There were some students in class who, did not say the Pledge of Allegiance or sing the National Anthem. This first occurred in my life when graduating from the 6th grade. It was connected to the religious beliefs of a few students.

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@Sturgis,

Snood would lose his **** if he went into Whole Foods and saw people working there wearing maga hats...

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@Sturgis,

Maybe I need to scroll back. Did you, or did you not say you did not want to go into a store and see an employee wearing anything that was about social protest?

1 Reply

@snood,

That would be the gist of it. A place of business should not be a place where the employees are dressed in anything that serves as a poster or advertisement for whatever thing they are supporting or interested in. They can do that sort of thing on their own time.

I don't know, maybe you want to enter your favorite store and see people wearing colorful shirts endorsing a political statement which you find repulsive.

And when I say 'business ', it includes sporting venues and the athletes and others connected to the team, including public relations staff, clerical workers, anybody working with or for the particular sporting organization.

Seriously, how many times should I have to explain this for you?

1 Reply

@Sturgis,

Really? No need to get snotty, professor.

When you said that you would allow for kneeling in protest at athletic events, it seemed a little contradictory - since the whole issue is displays of public protest at places of employment.

In any case, you certainly weren’t so unassailably crystal clear that you get to address me like I’m some lost adolescent you deign to “explain” things to.

And - I disagree - I think it’s totally fine to wear a protest slogan if that employee is courteous and efficient in providing whatever service.

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