A Jewish man is suing Officeworks for racial and religious discrimination after a female employee refused to laminate a page of the Australian Jewish News newspaper because she was “pro-Palestine”.
The customer, who was wearing a yarmulke at the time of the incident, brought an article from the Australian Jewish News to Officeworks in Elsternwick, Melbourne’s east, on March 4.
The piece was entitled ‘The Indomitable Spirit of Our People’ and featured a photo of a group holding the Australian and Israeli flags.
After reading the newspaper, the Officeworks employee refused to help the Jewish man, saying, “I’m pro-Palestine.”
She claimed that Officeworks’ policy gave her the right to refuse service to the man based on her political beliefs, but Officeworks has since clarified that this is incorrect.
“I don’t feel comfortable going through with this (the job),” the employee said.
“Maybe there is another employee who would be willing to do that,” the customer asked.
An Officeworks employee refused to laminate the Australian Jewish News because it was ‘pro-Palestine’
The worker replied, “You can wait for Maddie and see if she likes it, but I know I don’t.
“I am pro-Palestine and for political reasons I don’t feel comfortable with that.”
The client questioned whether Officeworks’ policy allowed employees to provide a particular service based on their personal beliefs.
Instead of responding, the employee asked if she was being filmed by the man and threatened to call the police if the man did not leave the store.
The customer has since filed a complaint with the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, alleging that Officeworks discriminated against him on the grounds of his race and religion by refusing to provide service.
“This incident has caused my family and me great sadness and has left us questioning whether it is safe to visit our local shops and carry out our usual activities,” he said.
‘No staff member intervened during the situation with the manager. The shame and intimidation we experienced has had a lasting impact.’
Officeworks has since apologized, but will not fire the employee. Instead, she will be sent for “education and training,” including a visit to the Holocaust Museum in Melbourne.
“We can confirm that we take this matter extremely seriously and that, after the issue arose, we conducted an internal investigation and took appropriate action to ensure this does not happen again,” the spokesperson said.
‘In this particular incident our policies were incorrectly applied and the lamination should have been carried out in accordance with Officeworks policies.
‘In addition, we provide ongoing training and education to our team members so that they are aware of legal requirements regarding discrimination and Officeworks’ policies and procedures.’
Dr Dvir Abramovich, chairman of the Anti-Defamation Commission, warned that the employee’s behaviour could set a dangerous precedent.
‘There is something very wrong in our country and I am appalled by this ugly and inhumane outburst of exclusion. It is un-Australian and tears our shared values to shreds.
‘What now? Are you being denied access to a restaurant, a club or a medical clinic because you wear a Star of David or have a Jewish-sounding name?
‘I wouldn’t be surprised if there are Holocaust survivors here who remember the Nuremberg Laws that excluded Jews from public life in Germany.’
The manager claimed that Officeworks policy gave her the right to refuse service to the man based on her own political beliefs – something Officeworks has since clarified is incorrect.
The employee threatened to call the police when she realized the man was filming her and asked him to leave the store
Dr Abramovich called on Australians to be “rock solid” in their fight against discrimination.
“Who would have thought that in Melbourne in 2024 people would be denied a church service because of their faith and because of Israel?” he said.
“We must have zero tolerance for this kind of profiling and indefensible prejudice.
‘No one should be excluded or disqualified from service because of his or her ethnic origin, the country he or she supports, gender, religion, belief or sexual orientation.
“Being different should be a reason to celebrate, not a burden that makes you susceptible to prejudice.”
“Melbourne is a multicultural and welcoming city and this incident is a stain on its reputation,” he said.
‘It’s time for Officeworks to move beyond fine words and actually get the message across that Jewish Australians and anyone who supports Israel are welcome in their stores.
‘They should publicly apologize and consider the position of this particular employee.
“I call on the Human Rights Commission and the government to condemn this unacceptable behaviour.”
