Refusing the rainbow, mislabeled breadcrumbs and… mistreating monkeys?!
With Kroger’s reputation taking a hit, these scandals will soon have you saying Kroger?!
I hardly know ‘er!
"It really does signal how inclusive Kroger is."
When businesses aim to support causes in the social spotlight, it follows that not everyone
will be on board.
Such was the case in April 2019 when Kroger introduced a new uniform, which included an
apron with a rainbow accessory and LGBTQ emblem.
Two employees, 72-year-old Brenda Lawson and 57-year-old Trudy Rickerd, took issue with
the new aprons and claimed that wearing them would go against their religious values.
They reportedly attempted to wear it while covering the rainbow with their name tag.
They also offered to wear a different apron but were told by management that both offers
were insufficient.
After further refusing to comply with the new store policy, Lawson and Rickerd were
let go, which caused an uproar and launched the lawsuit.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed on the two ex-employees' behalf in 2020,
claiming that Kroger had violated their religious freedom by terminating their employment due
to the disagreement.
The case quickly grabbed media attention.
As of October 2022, Kroger was made to pay $180,000 to settle the case.
If you follow grocery-chain-related news, you likely heard about the July 2021 incident
when a Cincinnati-based Kroger found itself in a lawsuit for allegedly causing the death
of an employee.
Dairy manager Evan Seyfried was known for his punctuality, reliability, and strong work ethic.
Unfortunately, he died by suicide at age 40.
An allegedly abusive manager was suspected of pushing Seyfried to the edge.
The lawsuit claimed that Seyfried feuded with this manager, who was known by employees to
instigate conflict, and who was quoted as saying he would make Seyfried's life miserable.
Supposedly, this manager's bullying of Seyfried included criticism of his choice to wear a
face mask during the COVID-19 pandemic, stalking Seyfried outside of work, and mockery of his
political beliefs.
Seyfried had no history of mental illness and had made numerous complaints about his
abusive manager.
The lawsuit claims the manager caused intentional distress, engaged in reckless conduct, and more.
As of February 2023, the judge assigned to the case refused to dismiss it, per Kroger's
plea, and has ruled that Seyfried's death is likely connected to the harassment that
he suffered.
Further court dates have yet to be scheduled, and the case is ongoing.
Child labor laws are not meant to be taken lightly, to say the least.
Yet the managers of a Mississippi Kroger location seemed to forget that the Fair Labor Standards
Act of 1938 prohibits certain types of work for children under 18.
This includes the rule that children under 18 are not permitted to operate trash compactors,
forklifts, or other dangerous machinery.
Despite this, a Southaven, Mississippi store was reported for breaking these child labor
laws after three 16 and 17-year-old employees were permitted to operate the store's trash compactor.
It also violated child labor laws by allowing its young employees to work too many hours.
The Department of Labor, also known as the DOL, took legal action against Kroger and
asked for a civil penalty of $13,673.
This wasn't the first time Kroger came up against child labor laws, either.
A Fred Meyer location in Portland, also owned by Kroger, allowed minor employees to load
motorized box balers, also considered dangerous equipment.
This incident led to an additional $55,440 in penalties for Kroger, adding another tally
to the DOL's child labor violations for 2022.
A spokesperson from Kroger later affirmed the company's focus on safety and apologized
for the incidents.
In 2021, Twitter users cried for a boycott against Kroger.
While Kroger found itself in several controversial topics during this time, the particular outrage
here stemmed from Kroger's decision to end COVID-19 hazard pay at an inopportune time.
"I think that Kroger should be leading by example and really setting the standard."
Kroger responded to COVID-19 by granting an additional two dollars per hour of hazard pay.
Touted as the "hero bonus," this was given to store and warehouse workers who remained
on the front lines during the pandemic's peak, as compensation for the additional risk of exposure.
The drama ensued when Chief Executive Rodney McMullen ended the raise two months later.
While the timing alone was questionable, the true fury began when people learned that McMullen
also allegedly collected a $22.4-million pay package, a 6% increase from the previous year
and his largest personal yield since 2014.
Meanwhile, employees' median pay fell 8%.
Frontline workers were none too pleased to learn that their hazard pay was abruptly cut
off while their head honcho was raking in extra dough.
Employee unions, individual workers, and even President Biden demanded fair compensation
for workers who put themselves at risk in a public-facing role during the pandemic.
The drama and complaints against Kroger persisted, leading to Kroger's announcement in March
2021 that it would raise the minimum hourly wage and give full-time workers a bonus.
A 2021 Kroger controversy brought political preferences and a call for a boycott to the
forefront when it named its new board member – Elaine Chao.
Chao was not just the Secretary of Transportation while President Donald Trump was in office
but is also the spouse of often controversial Kentucky senator Mitch McConnell.
The controversy surrounding this decision went beyond Chao's political relationships, however.
The Wall Street Journal revealed in 2019 that Chao was under investigation for pocketing
nearly $40,000 from a construction materials company that she had promised to divest.
She has also been investigated for allegedly using Department of Transportation funds and
staff for personal errands, according to an internal report released in 2021.
All of this and more brought Kroger's decision to elect Chao to its Board of Directors into question.
Many previously loyal Kroger customers vowed to cease funding the now politically-charged
company by taking their business elsewhere.
Time will tell as to whether or not Kroger's decision will lead to a decrease in sales,
as earnings data beyond 2021 has yet to be revealed, as of early 2023.
Who knew that something as small and seemingly insignificant as a breadcrumb could launch
legal action and trigger the payment of large amounts of money?
Whether it knew all this before or not, Kroger and its lawyers are surely now keenly aware
of the trouble that can come from breadcrumbs.
The lawsuit, filed in January 2010, focused on an inaccurate label of a Kroger-brand breadcrumb
product, which claimed that it contained no trans fats.
The lawsuit accused Kroger of false advertising after it was revealed that the product did
contain trans fat since it was made with partially hydrogenated oil.
This seemingly minor detail led to a class action lawsuit for all customers who made
valid claims, with or without receipts, that they purchased the mislabeled breadcrumbs.
Each customer could receive anywhere from $17 to $100 in funds as a result.
While Kroger has denied any intentional wrongdoing, the breadcrumbs lawsuit stretched out for
well over a decade.
A fairly recent update from February 2022 outlined that Kroger would agree to a $1.2
million deal to clear allegations.
However, the case has yet to be officially closed.
"The mother who says this was a case of racial profiling."
It's never a good look when a company is accused of discrimination.
Unfortunately, Kroger found itself at the center of a heated lawsuit for just that issue.
In October 2018, Kroger customer William Johnson sued the grocery chain for racial profiling.
Johnson, who was 65 years old at the time, was moving through the store while carrying
a couple of DVDs that he was considering purchasing for his grandchildren.
Johnson reported that he was approached by store security, unfairly accused of theft,
and eventually arrested.
The Ohio store in question reported its alleged observation of Johnson via the store's surveillance system.
Also, it made mention of the confrontation, which took place in the parking lot between
Johnson and a security officer.
After the arrest, Johnson sought out legal counsel.
As of July 2020, the criminal charges against Johnson were dropped, although the memory
of Kroger's accusation will likely remain.
It is no secret that hourly workers nationwide are unhappy with their pay.
With inflation pushing living costs higher, many Americans find it difficult to make ends meet.
This is why chaos ensued when Kroger was accused of being another cog in the wheel of larger
pay-related problems.
With billions in annual profits and its status as one of the largest grocery chains, Kroger's
many employees might easily assume that Kroger and its multiple brands can pay its workers
a liveable wage.
However, a 2018 document shared with Kroger executives noted that at least 25% of its
employees have to rely on government assistance because of the chain's low pay.
The document included interviews with employees who shared their frustrations with working
around food yet not being able to afford it, all while knowing their company could do better.
Other comments criticized Kroger for not increasing wages for long-term employees, stating that
some workers have contributed to over a decade of service with nothing to show.
This turmoil led to a three-week strike involving more than 8,500 employees.
The action lasted until Kroger promised to include drastic wage increases for their workers,
higher starting pay, and raises for longtime employees.
However, as of September 2022, employees have argued that these promises have not seen much progress.
When Kroger began offering COVID-19 vaccines, many across the nation flocked to their local
stores to get the vaccine.
Unfortunately for Kroger, one of its Virginia stores was revealed to have handed out vaccine-free shots.
Customers reported that not long after receiving their shot, they received a phone call from
a Kroger manager who explained that there had been an issue with their COVID vaccine
administration.
Initially, these customers were told that the shot contained saline instead of the COVID
vaccine, but it was later revealed that the syringes were completely empty.
Supposedly, the employee administering the injections assumed that syringes were prefilled,
which was not the case.
"Kroger said it was an honest mistake and it quickly called everyone who got the wrong
shot so they could come back for the real thing."
Unsurprisingly, this caused real anxiety for some customers, but at least there was no
embolism risk from receiving an empty shot in this instance.
The Virginia Department of Health told local news outlet 8News that while injections of
air into a person's veins can be deadly, the COVID vaccine goes into the arm muscle.
This means that an air-filled syringe is, at least in this case, largely harmless.
In the end, the store's clinic staff was promptly retrained, and the customers in question could
finally receive their injection of the COVID vaccine, this time, with meticulous attention
to detail.
No business wants to fall under accusations of animal cruelty, nor does it want to be
the recipient of heated criticism from PETA.
Nevertheless, Kroger stepped into just that kind of discussion over its sale of one particular
product: Chaokoh coconut milk.
Chaokoh's brand of coconut milk was sold at many grocery stores nationwide, including
Kroger locations.
It was one of the leading coconut milk brands in the country, at least before its farming
practices came to light.
A 2019 PETA Asia investigation alleged that Chaokoh was responsible for cruel treatment
of monkeys that had been trained to gather coconuts.
Investigators found that monkeys at many farms were chained, abused, and exploited.
PETA claims that Chaokoh also has a reputation for kidnapping young monkeys from their families
and forcing them to endure this poor treatment.
This led to the call for grocery stores to cease the sale of Chaokoh's products, and
40,000 stores, including Kroger-owned ones, agreed.
Kroger confirmed in June 2021 that it would sell off the remaining Chaokoh inventory and
then drop the brand.
If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please dial or text 988 to speak
with The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
You can also seek help by visiting 988lifeline.org.