In 2022, a district court judge for the Eastern District of Arkansas ordered a subsidiary of the Kroger supermarket chain to settle a workplace discrimination case in Equal Emp’t Opportunity Comm’n v. Kroger Ltd. P’ship I.
Two former employees had filed the case in 2019, alleging that they were fired for refusing to wear a uniform with a logo that resembled the pride flag. The two employees stated that the logo went against their religious beliefs since it showed support for the LGBTQ community.
In its defense, the supermarket chain denied firing the two employees over the uniforms and added that the rainbow-colored logo was not intended to express support for the LGBTQ community. The company settled the case in 2022 and agreed to create a religious accommodation policy as part of the settlement.
Lessons learned from the case:
- The case reiterates the importance of recognizing the protected characteristics and enforcing policies that protect employees from discrimination based on any of them.
- The settlement serves as a reminder to employers that retaliating against employees for raising concerns is prohibited.
Learn more about Arkansas Labor Laws through our detailed guide.
