Israeli supermarket chain harasses employees who date Arabs, ex-manager claims
The Rami Levy supermarket chain is alleged to have ostracized and created a hostile work environment for one of its branch managers after it was learned that she was dating an Arab Muslim man.
By JPOST.COM STAFFA couple share a kiss (illustrative).(photo credit: REUTERS)
The Rami Levy supermarket chain is alleged to have ostracized and created a hostile work environment for one of its branch managers after it was learned that she was dating an Arab Muslim man, Army Radio reported on Wednesday.The IDF-run radio station quotes a former branch manager who spoke on condition of anonymity. She recalled “workers turning their backs to her” and “humiliating treatment” from colleagues after it became known that she was involved romantically with a non-Jewish co-worker.“I was going out with an Arab Muslim man, and I hid this fact because I knew that at Rami Levy there’s a policy in place,” she told Army Radio. “If a female employee dates an Arab man, they try to fire her. That comes from the top. They tell the human resources department to thoroughly check if any of the girls are dating Arab men.”“Once they found out I was going out with an Arab, they decided that from their standpoint, it was inappropriate,” she said. “They did everything to make me feel unwanted, like I didn’t belong. People would make hurtful comments like, ‘Why are you doing that to yourself?’, ‘You gotta get back on your feet,’ things like that.”The former manager said that the supermarket chain transferred her boyfriend to another branch even though they had ceased dating.“They said that us working together in the same place created a distraction,” she said. “I had a nervous breakdown because of this relationship. I eventually reached my breaking point and left the company.”The former employee said that she knew of other instances in which Jewish women employees were treated in similar fashion. She added that her ordeal took place with the full knowledge of Rami Levi, the CEO and founder.Rami Levy has been at the center of a media firestorm after news outlets reported that his outlet mistreated employees by forcing them to work excessive hours without breaks. A former employee also accused the company of failing to investigate complaints of sexual harassment against female workers.Levy denied the accusation. “I have no idea what people are talking about,” he said.
