99 Speedmart Tells A Punjabi To Cut Hair & Shave Beard If He Would Like A Job
The man's mother said their request is similar to asking a Muslim woman to remove her hijab.
By Parvinsivam Thirunamakarasu — 11 May 2023, 04:00 PM
A Facebook post uploaded on Tuesday, 9 May, detailed the unfortunate incident of a Punjabi man being told to cut his hair and shave his beard if he would like a job at a 99 Speedmart outlet
Facebook user Yashwend shared how his friend's son had a job interview for the storekeeper position at the convenience store.
According to the post, the manager was not present, so one of the staff conducted the interview instead.
The staff told the man that he could have the job under the condition that he cut his hair and shaved his beard.
In his post, Yashwend mentioned that both the man applying for the job and his mother practise Sikhism, and it is against their religious beliefs for men to cut their hair.
According to the Sikh Coalition, Sikhs interpret the keeping of hair as a sign of commitment and acceptance of God's will.
After the incident, the job applicant's mother contacted the store manager to demand an explanation for the staff's peculiar request
According to a screenshot of their WhatsApp conversation, the store manager replied that this is their store's standard operating procedure (SOP) and apologised for not hiring her son.
Unsatisfied with the justification, the man's mother said she was going to make an official complaint.
She then said their request is similar to asking a Muslim woman to remove her hijab.
In a brief conversation with SAYS, the man's mother said they didn't report the incident to the police
However, she said the senior manager has contacted her to apologise for the incident and said the incident will be investigated.
SAYS has reached out to 99 Speedmart for a statement but has yet to receive a response.
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