Sweetgreen Employees Sue Company Over Racial Discrimination — Retail Bum

Salad chain Sweetgreen is facing a lawsuit from 10 employees, who allege racial discrimination at seven of its locations in New York City.

According to the lawsuit, plaintiffs’s co-workers and managers abused them with racist comm daily use of the N-word and made racist comments at them. They also overlooked Black employees when hiring for vacant roles or promoting qualified workers, instead favoring Hispanic people. Furthermore, the plaintiffs noted that they were told by managers at these locations that Hispanic people worked harder than African Americans and that Black employees were lazy.

Some female workers were also subject to sexual harassment, with managers touching employees inappropriately and making sexual comments at them.

The plaintiffs claim that their previous complaints to senior management, including Sweetgreen’s human resources team, fell on deaf years.

While Sweetgreen refused to offer detailed comments on the lawsuit, a spokesperson iterated the company’s focus on inclusion and creating a safe work environment.

“At Sweetgreen, we are committed to diversity as well as a safe and inclusive workplace. We take these accusations seriously and do not tolerate any form of harassment, discrimination, or unsafe working conditions,” a Sweetgreen spokesperson told CNBC.

As per New York State law, companies are liable for any form of discriminatory conduct of managers.

Originally published at https://retailbum.com on September 20, 2023.