Whole Foods bans poppies in the workplace

While many Canadians choose to support their veterans during the month of November by wearing a poppy, the grocery store Whole Foods has decided to ban employees from wearing a poppy while at work.

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• Severance pay at Whole Foods

The new update to dress code policy has many questioning its legality and whether or not there could be repercussions if an employee breaks this new rule. An Ottawa employment lawyer at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP joined CTV News to discuss the recent change.

• 00:57 Can an employer tell a Canadian employee not to wear a poppy at work? From a legal perspective, yes, as wearing a poppy could be considered a political statement.
• 1:47 What other valid reason could Whole Foods argue for the ban? An employer could argue health and safety as a reason as some restaurants and grocery stores do.
• 2:19 Have there been other challenges to wearing poppies from companies before? There have been other companies in the past who have banned poppies, like McDonald’s who eventually had to walk back the ban due to public backlash.

Whole Foods has since reversed its decision to ban employees from wearing poppies at the workplace.