Isetan apologises over treatment of promoter in tudung

Facebook screengrab/ Isetan (Singapore)​

The management of Isetan (Singapore) have apologised to a teacher in a Facebook note over the behaviour of its staff members.

A note posted on the company's Facebook page on Monday (July 14) night emphasised Isetan's "commitment to a harmonious, non-discriminatory workplace" and said they "will strive to do better" in the future. 

On July 9, Miss Zafirah, a teacher, posted a note on her Facebook page saying she had written a complaint e-mail to Isetan.

Discriminated

She claims her younger sister - who is not named - had been discriminated against by a staff member of Isetan at Wisma Atria, because she wore the tudung (headscarf). 

Miss Zafirah wrote in her e-mail to Isetan that her younger sister, a part-time employee with retailer PUMA, had been assigned to man the PUMA section in Isetan at Wisma Atria on July 9. 

She wrote of how two Isetan staff, described as "managers", started chatting with another PUMA staff in Mandarin. 

She said the staff then threw "dirty looks" at her sister and pointed at her sister's headscarf. 

Miss Zafirah said the PUMA staff then told her sister to "leave the premises as she was wearing a headscarf and should not be working there".

According to the post, someone in the store called a PUMA manager in a nearby outlet to inform them of the situation. 

Her sister eventually "left the store crying", after being asked to leave by the service exit and to have her bag checked by security. 

E-mail exchange

According to pictures posted by Miss Zafirah on her Facebook, Isetan replied to her original complaint with an apology via e-mail on July 11. 

Miss Zafirah said she rejected the initial apology because it lacked "substance" and that she asked Isetan to clarify its dress code for their employees, as she said "there is no mention of a dress code on (Isetan's) HR website". 

A screengrab of the apology sent by Isetan via e-mail on July 11. Screengrab: Facebook / Miss Zafirah Edwards

A screengrab of  Miss Zafirah's e-mail reply to Isetan via e-mail on July 11. Screengrab: Facebook / Miss Zafirah Edwards

A deputy manager from Isetan then called Miss Zafirah, before the apology was posted on Isetan Singapore's Facebook page last night. 

Source: Facebook