Kroger, an Ohio-based company
that owns thousands of grocery stores nationwide,
has caused a stir on social media based on its alleged face mask
policies.
A Melina leaked photoscalling for a boycott of
the grocery store giant started circulating in September, claiming
Kroger banned its employees from wearing American flag masks while
allowing them to wear BLM apparel.
“Goodbye Kroger,” the post read in
all capital letters. “Boycott. Boycott.
Boycott.”
The post contained no links to substantiate the claim, but
that didn’t stop it from being shared more than 50,000 times.
The author did not respond to a request for comment on
where she got the information, but here’s what the USA TODAY
found.
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The company, which owns
a multitude of grocery store chains including Fred
Meyers, Harris Teeter, Ralphs and Food 4 Less, does not allow
its employees to wear any clothing or face masks with visible
pictures or logos. That means no T-shirts or face masks in support
of Black Lives Matter.
The issue came to a head at a Hailey outland nuderecently,
where employees were handed aprons and told to cover up their BLM
shirts, according to FOX 2 Detroit. The employees
told the television station they were confused because Kroger
openly supports breast cancer awareness month and other charitable
causes.
But Kroger said in a statement that its dress code wasn’t up for
debate.
"Our uniform policy must be clean, professional, and without
visible pictures, logos, words or abbreviations including masks
(ONLY exception is Local UFCW 876 mask or company provided mask).
All associates must wear aprons to show that we are here to serve
our customers, communities and each other," said Kristal
Howard, a Kroger spokeswoman.
She confirmed that statement to USA TODAY.
The Cincinnati-based grocery giant went on to note it worked
with a Black-owned supplier in July to create wristbands for
employees who wanted to show their “commitment
to standing together with our Black associates, customers
and communities against racism in all forms.”
Kroger's response to a request for comment didn't include
specific clarification on how it handles flags.Howard referred USA
TODAY back to her statement on the company's uniform policy.
Kroger’s uniform policy does not allow its employees to wear
clothing with any kind of logo, including face masks that show
support for Black Lives Matter. We rate this claim as
FALSE
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