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New information from Zara supports Aftonbladet/200 Sekunder’s review of the company.
Zara denies that the company took time to visit the toilet – but at the same time writes that “deviations may occur”.
Zara also says that squares on the floor are for “organizing the workflow”, but notes that the markings “can be misused”.
In an internal email, which was sent to the employees after 200 Sekunden’s publication, it was said, among other things, that Zara “never allowed” that “managers take time from employees when they use the toilets”.
Zara’s internal email then also stated that “markings on the floor” were used “during the covid pandemic” to create “a safe distance to other employees”, but that the markings “are not used in the same way today”.
Now Zara comes with other information. In an email to 200 Sekunder, which was sent to us on Friday, it is said, among other things, that Zara’s policy “is that Zara stores do not have toilet lists”. But later in the email it is said that Zara sometimes has to “communicate with our employees about toilet breaks”, that “such dialogue” must be respectful but that deviations in how the toilet policy is communicated “may occur”.
“Implement training”
Six of the 39 employees and former employees in 200 Sekunder’s review stated that they were either clocked in the toilet, called via loudspeaker when the toilet visit took too long, heard the manager come running outside the toilet and that the manager shouted “why are you a minute late?”, only had to go to the toilet at lunch or that “you had to hurry”.
Even when it comes to “marked squares on the floor”, Zara now gives a different version. In the new email to 200 Sekunder, it is said that the boxes are for “organizing the workflow”, there is no longer any reference to the fact that they would only have to do with the covid pandemic, and finally Zara writes that the markings can be “used in the wrong way, and we implement further training to ensure that this does not happen’.
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full screen Photo: Andreas Bardell
In 200 Sekunder’s investigation, several employees testified about how they have to work in taped boxes. Among other things, an ex-employee said:
– When we got down, the elevator doors opened and the manager pointed to a small taped box on the floor and then she said “you must stand here”. The box is 50×50 centimetres, you have to stand there for an entire work shift and change clothes and remove the plastic.
“No racial profiling”
The company has chosen not to include the information in the internal email to Zara’s employees that the company “never delivered a termination or resignation via email” in the new email. After the internal email, 200 Sekunder published a copy of an email, in which a Zara employee was fired via email.
Zara now also comments on Aftonbladet’s information that “code 64” is used when people with an immigrant background are in the stores and must be checked:
“We use code words to ensure the health and safety of our employees in line with industry standards, but never for any form of racial profiling,” Zara’s new email to 200 Sekunder says.
The new email begins with a general declaration that the behaviors reported by Aftonbladet/200 Sekunder “are unacceptable”, that they “go against Zara’s policy and culture”, but that “individual mistakes” may have been committed.