The National Labor Relations Board alleged that Whole Foods Market banned employees from wearing "Black Lives Matter" apparel.
The National Labor Relations Board's San Francisco office issued a complaint on Friday that claimed the grocery chain broke federal labor law by prohibiting staffers from wearing Black Lives Matter clothing.
The filing states that the dress code was enforced in 2020 during the height of the Black Lives Matter protests that swept the country. Whole Foods was one of the companies where employees participated in demonstrations to raise awareness of issues of racial injustice in the workplace.
Whole Foods employees are not allowed to wear attire with visible slogans, messages, or logos that are not related to the company, according to a Whole Foods spokesman. The policy does not specify a single message or slogan.
The dress code policy is designed to make sure that team members and customers have a pleasant shopping experience and that the food is high-quality. We don't believe that introducing any messages on uniforms, regardless of the content, will compromise that experience.
Whole Foods was accused by the National Labor Relations Board of being in violation of federal labor law, which states that workers have the right to engage inconcerted activities for their mutual aid and protection.
Whole Foods retaliated against employees who wore the apparel, including sending some employees home without pay and firing others, according to the filing. Workers in 10 states said they were punished by the company.
The National Labor Relations Act protects employees' right to advocate for change, and issues of racial harassment and discrimination are central to employees' working conditions. We seek to enforce the act and protect workers' rights to speak up.
Over the past year, the National Labor Relations Board has responded to a number of complaints regarding the treatment of employees who have spoken out against discrimination at companies like Apple.
The representative for the NLRB did not reply immediately.
