Jewish man ‘discriminated’ against by Officeworks manager faces down giant’s legal team
Officeworks has hired a leading law firm to respond to allegations that one of its managers discriminated against a Jewish man by refusing him service.
The pro-Palestinian worker in Elsternwick, east of Melbourne, was filmed on March 4 refusing to laminate an article from the Australian Jewish News.
The customer, who was wearing a yarmulke at the time of the incident, wanted to laminate a work entitled ‘The Indomitable Spirit of Our People’.
Renowned religious leader Rabbi Daniel Rabbin wrote the article, which included a photo of a group holding the Australian and Israeli flags.
The female manager told the man that she would not laminate the piece because she was “pro-Palestine” and felt “uncomfortable” with the content.
She is known to have refused to personally apologize to the Jewish man, Herald Sun reported on Sunday, further intensifying the mediation process.
Despite calls to fire the employee, her employment was not terminated.
Instead, the manager was transferred to another Officeworks store.
A pro-Palestine Officeworks worker (pictured) in Elsternwick in Melbourne’s east was filmed refusing to laminate an article from the Australian Jewish News on March 4
With no agreement reached between the office supplies giant and the Jewish man, Officeworks has hired lawyers from Herbert Smith Freehills, a renowned international law firm.
The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal schedules a hearing.
The Jewish man was convinced that if the cleaning lady regretted her actions, she would have apologized long ago.
“It appears that Officeworks is condoning this type of unlawful behaviour by continuing to employ the individual in question despite at least two anti-Semitic incidents occurring within a few months,” he said.
Officeworks has hired a renowned international law firm to respond to the allegations of discrimination (stock image)
The man alleged that Officeworks had breached the Equality Act by refusing to provide him with services.
“This is really going to be a David and Goliath battle,” he said.
Officeworks staff are reportedly currently undergoing ‘training and education’ regarding discrimination.
Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Officeworks for comment.