News10NBC has an update on the story Friday about a teenaged Muslim cashier at Wegmans Lyell Avenue store where a sign caught customers’ attention.
A week prior, the girl told her manager she was uncomfortable handling pork or alcohol products because of her religious convictions. Wegmans director of media relations Jo Natale said Friday that the store manager decided to put up a small sign whenever the girl was a cashier. It read: ‘If your order contains pork and alcohol products, we respectfully ask that you choose another lane.’ The girl wears a head covering and works part-time.
By Monday, Natale e-mailed an update to say the circumstances have since changed. Natale said this individual store decision did not match up with Wegmans corporate policy.
Natale says: “It is not Wegmans’ policy to permit signage like this for any religious or lifestyle reason. The decision to post the sign was made at store level by a single employee, and it has since been reversed. The sign has been removed. We have coached the store on other ways they could have addressed the concerns of this employee, who knew when she took the job that it would include handling these products.”
Natale said it wasn’t until early Friday evening, after discussing the situation with Wegmans Sr. VP of store operations, that this situation was sorted out.
Wegmans says there are a few departments where a 17-year old can work other than front end, for example, floral and produce. Natale said the store manager did offer that option, but the teen said she loves being a cashier. Another option would be to use gloves. Wegmans says it has many cashiers with allergies or sensitivities to detergents, soaps, etc. who are permitted to wear gloves.
When asked if, in fact, this employee was still a cashier and using gloves, Natale e-mailed back to say they have moved her to a different department.
Natale said the store received eight anonymous phone calls last week questioning the arrangement, but no in-store complaints.