Whole Foods Does The Impossible, Pisses Off Entirety Of Canada
Do you know how hard it is to get Canada upset with you? I mean, it's really easy to do to small sections (shoutout Vancouver and Toronto). But it takes a special level of stupidity to unite Quebec and, well, every other province. A real dunderheaded move that actually brings opposing parties together.
Pretentious foodstuffs merchant Whole Foods managed to do just that with this utter cluelessness about the nation it decided to sell its overpriced wares in.
Less than a week before millions of Canadians are set to pay their respects to veterans by wearing a poppy, a national grocery store chain has banned its employees from wearing the symbol of remembrance while on the job.
U.S.-based Whole Foods Market says poppies aren't allowed under its recently updated uniform policy, which affects employees at its 14 locations across Canada.
But the company won't say why.
An employee of the Whole Foods in Ottawa says she was told by a supervisor that wearing the poppy would be seen as "supporting a cause."
"I was basically told … if they allowed this one particular cause, then it would open up the door so that they would have to allow or consider allowing other causes," said the employee. CBC News has agreed not to name her as she is concerned about reprisals at her job.
"I was in shock actually. I was appalled. I couldn't believe it."
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And the Prime Minister RTd this one...
Imagine thinking that wearing a poppy in Canada during November is "supporting a cause"? Talk about not knowing AND insulting your customers/employees.
The reason poppies are used to remember those who have given their lives in battle is because they are the flowers which grew on the battlefields after World War One ended.
This is described in the famous World War One poem In Flanders Fields.
Ever since then, they have come to be a symbol of remembering not just those who gave their lives in World War One, but all those who have died on behalf of their country.
The money raised from these donations is used to help servicemen and women who are still alive, whose lives have been changed by wars that they fought in.
The money helps veterans who may need to find new jobs or somewhere to live, or any other support they may need.
It is also used to help those who have lost loved ones because of wars.
Yeah, yeah, they're a company and can make their own rules and blah blah blah. But instead of simply tweaking corporate policy in deference to the culture of the next country they plan on infiltrating with $17 jars of cruelty-free pickles, Whole Foods decided to collectively piss off the most polite country on the planet.
I'll give you one guess what line of work this guy is in…
Lucifero says Whole Foods might have valid health and safety reasons for not allowing employees to wear a poppy, because the poppies "are pins, with needles, there might be a health and safety risk there."
Ah, yes, we've all heard about the annual increase of injuries in Canada each November from people being pricked by the lapels of the person ringing up their groceries.
To be fair, the same lawyer acknowledged how fucking dumb it is.
But, he added, it is "generally speaking, not good PR for an employer to take a position like this."
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If Whole Foods doesn't do the right thing, they might as well just pack up and leave now. This is, after all, a place where people voluntarily stopped using Heinz Ketchup. So never underestimate the anger of hosers.
I haven't seen Canada this upset since…