Aritzia is being criticized by former employees for a discriminatory work environment.and make statements in support of the Black community in the wake of protests and the police killing of George Floyd.and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in the U.S., she thought, “That’s great.” Then she recalled the racism she faced while working for the Canadian retailer and changed her mind.
Lewis, 27, worked at Aritzia’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre location in Toronto from last August to January as an associate manager. During her short time there, she said she experienced anti-BlackEmployees would use “code words to describe certain types of customers ... so you would know that you should spend your time with certain people and not others,” she said.
When the company vice-president visited the store, she would engage with white members of the management team, but Lewis said the exec would barely speak to her,Karissa Lewis said she was treated differently from other managers at the Aritzia store she worked at because she is Black. “Whenever I would defend myself during a discrepancy with another associate, I would be labelled as ‘blunt,’ ‘sassy,’ or ‘defensive,’ which is just a micro-aggression towards me as a Black woman.”
According to this ex-employee, another manager at Aritzia’s Vaughan Mills location treated Black sales associates differently than non-Black staff, such as when it came to tidying up sections of the store.Other employees would do quick touch-ups, and were able to proceed on to their breaks with minimal checks from this [store manager]. However, when these two Black women would ask for the same check of their section, they were given a much harder time.
“Whenever I would defend myself during a discrepancy with another associate, I would be labelled as ‘blunt,' 'sassy,' or 'defensive,’ which is just micro-aggression towards me as a Black woman.”Employees are given a handbook that includes an anti-retaliation policy and details on how to report issues if they aren’t comfortable going to a manager, according to materials provided to HuffPost by Aritzia.
ARITZIA Racism is well spread in Canada workforce and Corporations! We should start a meetooracistvictim and mominate the Corporation!
ARITZIA Super disappointed to hear about the treatment of black employees and racial profiling of customers Aritzia! Do better!