Trader Joe’s.Photo: Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty
A New York City man claims he was fired fromTrader Joe’safter writing a letter to the company calling for stricter COVID safety guidelines.
On Friday, Ben Bonnematweetedthat he had been terminated from his job at the grocery store chain’s Upper West Side location in Manhattan, sharing the letter he claims he sent to the chain’s CEO Dan Bane. In the letter, Bonnema included sources about the dangers of COVID-19 transmission indoors via aerosol particles, asking that corporate make adjustments to filtration systems to better protect customers and staff.
Bonnema also suggested not letting anyone into the store without a mask “for any reason,” adding that they should “adopt a ‘3 strikes’ policy” to remove “uncooperative people from our stores.”
Bonnema alsoshared the termination letterhe said he was issued on Feb. 26, claiming that the memo he wrote did not align with the company’s values.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
“Trader Joe’s just fired me for sending this letter to the ceo, saying i don’t share the company values. i guess advocating for a safer workplace isn’t a company value?” Bonnema wrote in his tweet, which has since gathered nearly 200,000 likes and 40,000 retweets, as of Tuesday morning.
A spokesperson for Trader Joe’s did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
In a statement toBusiness Insider, a Trader Joe’s spokesperson said, “We have never, and would never, terminate a Crew Member’s employment for raising safety concerns.” They added that Bonnema was fired “because of the disrespect he showed toward our customers.”
“Nothing is more important at Trader Joe’s than the safety of our Crew Members and customers. We encourage all Crew Members to take an active role in store safety, and share their suggestions with leadership,” read the statement. “During his short tenure with Trader Joe’s, this Crew Member’s suggestions were listened to, and appropriately addressed.”
As information about thecoronavirus pandemicrapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from theCDC,WHOandlocal public health departments.PEOPLE has partnered with GoFundMeto raise money for the COVID-19 Relief Fund, a GoFundMe.org fundraiser to support everything from frontline responders to families in need, as well as organizations helping communities. For more information or to donate, clickhere.
source: people.com
