Officeworks management are facing new questions about their store policies, after it was revealed that the Pro Palestine Protester employee, who refused to serve a Jewish man also refused to serve a Jewish woman earlier in the year, is still working for the retailer.

The woman who is easily recognizable because of her tats has been moved to another store in Victoria, after being exposed for refusing service to a Jewish man because she was “pro-Palestinian,” she was due to visit the Melbourne Holocaust Museum after the first incident.It is understood the first incident involved a Jewish woman who was told on January 28 it was “impossible” to print the pictures in the size she wanted “because the Jews had used all the paper”.

The Australian claims that the extraordinary revelations mean the team member was involved in not one, but two anti-Semitic incidents and has still been retained as an employee.

One angry Jewish business executive said, “She should have been sacked Officeworks management are pandering to a woman, who supports terrorism and by keeping her in her job they are sending a very clear message to the Jewish community”.

“Officeworks management can say sorry, but that does not cut it, as actions speak louder than words and by continuing to employ her, they themselves are supporting her”.

The Jewish man who was refused a laminating service at the Officeworks Elsternwick store a largely Jewish neighbourhood is taking Officeworks to an anti-discrimination tribunal over the confrontation.

Senior Officeworks executives who appear to have supported her stance with the woman threatening to call the Police if the man refused to leave the store, along with staff at the Elsternwick store are set to undergo an anti-Semitism awareness course run by peak body the Executive Council of Australian Jewry.

Officeworks CEO Sarah Hunter said following an investigation into the incident “We concluded that the incident was not due to malice but ignorance” she said.

Officeworks CEO Sarah Hunter

 

“Disciplinary measures were implemented, including a final warning, additional training and relocation to a different store, which were appropriate given the youth, inexperience and clear remorse of the team member.”

“As education is of paramount importance in such a situation, the team member was also required to visit the Melbourne Holocaust Museum. The impact on the team member was profound and their remorse was deep and genuine.”
Officeworks CEO

Anti-Defamation Commission chair Dvir Abramovich said Officeworks had many questions to answer. “At what point does an employee’s discriminatory behaviour and rhetoric get them dismissed?” Dr Abramovich asked.

“It is now clear that the unmistakeable message that this company is sending to the Jewish community is that at Officeworks if one engages in malicious slurs about a particular group, or treats people differently because they are Jewish, Zionist or support Israel they will keep their job.

“It is beyond words that this person is still working at Officeworks and that no one at management has even bothered to ensure that she apologises personally to the (second) victim.”

The man refused service in the second incident also slammed the company’s handling of his matter, and declared he is proceeding with anti-discrimination legal action.

The kippah-wearing man, who has asked to remain anonymous due to fears of retribution, says he still sees “no alternative’’ to proceeding with his claim because he is being treated as “just a dissatisfied customer’’ instead of a victim of discrimination, and that the woman is still employed – despite there being two incidents.