Four former Macy’s employees of the flagship Herald Square location in New York City are alleging that the company was pushing to have its workers racially profile Asian shoppers. They claim that they were instructed to not sell or avoid selling Macy’s merchandise to customers of Asian descent. The ex employees, who identify as Asian-American, also claim that they were wrongfully terminated after they spoke out against the alleged policy. Their terminations followed soon after they spoke to managers and filed grievances with Macy’s union about the supposed discrimination.
Although Macy’s denies the allegations, their former employees have noted rather detailed instances of the racial profiling in effect. For example, they claim managers instructed sales associates that they should avoid selling more than one unit of the same product to Asian customers despite the official store policy allowing customers to purchase up to six units of the same product. Additionally, the filed complaint notes that workers in the loss prevention department would make Asian shoppers uncomfortable by tracking them until they checked out with their products. The former employees claim that the basis of this racial profiling is Macy’s fear that opportunistic foreign customers are buying their products to resell in Asia at a markup.
If you feel you have been discriminated against due to your race or have lost your job in retaliation for speaking out against discriminatory actions, you may have a claim. Speaking with an employment lawyer is the best way to analyze your specific situation to get the advice you need. At Fitapelli & Schaffer, LLP we offer a free phone consultation with one of our available attorneys. We will be able to let you know if we can assist you with your matter. We can be reached at (212) 300-0375 or you may visit our website for more information.