‘Asked To Rate Each Other On Looks': Ex-Employees Accuse Canadian Fashion Giant Of Racism, Discrimination

Former employees of Aritzia, the Canadian fashion giant, have recently come forward to shed light on the company's toxic work culture. According to their accounts, they endured an "exploitive" and intensely "high-pressure" environment, with some staff members experiencing disturbing incidents of racism.?

These troubling allegations emerged as 53 current and former Aritzia employees shared their experiences with Business Insider.

Between 2005 and 2019, at least five employees who worked at Aritzia stores in Ontario, Canada, disclosed that they were asked to rate their colleagues based on their appearance.?

The employees said, "Their managers asked them to rate their own or others’ appearance from one to 10 in daily huddles."?

"Automatically, if you’re skinny, you’re not going to be below seven," one employee alleged.

Several staff members likened their experience working at Aritzia to enduring "psychological abuse," highlighting that the negative culture stemmed from the top-down, with founder Brian Hill being identified as a contributing factor.

An explosive?Business Insider report?delved into the tumultuous work environment at Aritzia, unveiling startling allegations against the company's founder, Brian Hill.?

Some employees recounted incidents of Hill's explosive temper, including instances where he reportedly yelled and threw objects at workers, creating an atmosphere of fear and intimidation within the organization.

One particularly concerning incident involved Hill quizzing an employee about a pen and reacting aggressively when she provided the correct answer. Former employees' descriptions of such incidents highlighted a management style they compared to "psychological abuse."

In response to the report, a representative for Hill denied the allegations, asserting that he is an exacting CEO committed to fostering employee growth and career development.?

They insisted that the accusations did not represent the corporate culture that Hill and his leadership group had created.

The report also highlighted shocking instances of racism experienced by some Black employees at Aritzia.?

During the incident, one former employee alleged that her store manager physically assaulted her, using racial slurs. This employee subsequently filed a lawsuit against the company and the store manager.

Additionally, two other Black employees recounted being subjected to demeaning and racially insensitive remarks, with their store manager asking them to make coffee to match the color of their skin.?

Jessica Porter and Candace Jerry asserted that they were assigned menial tasks not asked of their White counterparts, such as vacuuming, steaming, or taking clothes to the sales floor.

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In response to these allegations, Aritzia's spokesperson denied racial bias in task assignments, asserting that the company does not assign tasks based on an employee's race.

The report has shed light on the troubling work environment and alleged instances of racism at Aritzia, prompting broader discussions about workplace culture and discrimination within the company.

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