Because of the headscarf controversy: Migros fires a cashier – now she’s suing the retailer

Migros is facing accusations of discrimination. As “20 Minutes” reports, the retailer fired a cashier without notice because she decided to wear a headscarf. Now it has filed a lawsuit against Migros.

But first and foremost: MA*, as the woman who wishes to remain anonymous is called in the report, has been working at the cash register in a Lucerne branch of the orange giant since 2017. The Kurdish woman, who has lived in Switzerland for years, has been without a headscarf for a long time. In July 2023, she decided to wear one. “My boss told me not to come to work wearing a headscarf. Otherwise I would be sent home,” MA tells “20 Minutes.”

Her superiors brought up the dress code as an argument. It may not contain religious symbols. This explanation did not convince MA: “My employees were allowed to work with huge tattooed crosses on their hands,” says the 42-year-old. “I really feel discriminated against.”

A transfer to another department was also not approved. MA then resigned for the next few days because she no longer felt comfortable without a headscarf. The result: the employer terminated the contract without notice. MA is now suing Migros, for whom she worked for six years.

According to Migros spokeswoman Carmen Hefti, the dress code for cooperative branch staff is regulated nationally, “with room for cooperative or company-specific design.” In concrete terms: All employees with customer contact are prohibited from wearing headgear. “This includes religious headgear, including headscarves, turbans or yarmulkes.”

In its response, Migros also emphasizes that safety and hygiene regulations must be adhered to at all times. When asked by CH Media what exactly this has to do with working at the cash register, spokeswoman Hefti says that this statement is intended generally in relation to working at Migros.

However, Migros no longer seems completely comfortable with these guidelines. Because according to the spokeswoman, there are currently discussions with the cooperatives to adjust the dress code on some points. Part of this discussion is also the handling of headgear.

Coop also prohibits its salespeople from wearing headgear. This will be clearly communicated when the contract is signed, says spokeswoman Sina Gebel. “We respect the private needs of our employees, but would like to make a distinction between private life and professional activity.” In areas of customer contact, symbols of any kind should be avoided if possible: “This includes, for example, symbols for political commitments or fan affiliations, as well as religious symbols of all faiths.”

The kiosk group Valora, known for the brands Brezelkönig, Avec and Caffè Spettacolo, deals with the issue more liberally, as spokesperson Sascha Heiniger confirmed when asked: “We do not impose such requirements on our staff, and therefore no ban on headscarves.”

And how does Swiss Post deal with this problem? “The Swiss Post is committed to equal opportunities and therefore to tolerance and openness towards other cultures and religions,” says spokeswoman Jacqueline Bühlmann. “Therefore, employees are generally allowed to wear clothing and jewelry with a religious motivation, for example crosses or the Star of David on a chain, Hindu zodiac signs, yarmulkes, headscarves or dastars.” This arrangement also applies to customer contact.

Bühlmann refers to the constitutional right to preserve freedom of belief and conscience. People from more than 100 countries work at the post office, and the cultural diversity is accordingly great. “We want to consciously utilize the potential of this diversity and cultivate a corporate culture that is characterized by appreciation and diversity.”

There are therefore no group-wide guidelines regarding the wearing of clothing and jewelry with a religious motivation in the workplace and therefore no general approval requirement for wearing headscarves, says Bühlmann. (aargauerzeitung.ch)