Brad Banducci, the CEO of Woolworths, has expressed his concern regarding the unacceptable mistreatment that Woolies employees have faced following the decision to remove Australia Day products from their stores.
Woolworths CEO urges customers to be respectful of staff on Australia Day
The retail manager has finally made a statement after Woolworths announced its controversial decision on January 10.
Mr. Banducci acknowledged that he was accountable for the choice to not sell Australia Day decorations, flags, and accessories. He also appealed to customers to demonstrate higher levels of courtesy towards Woolies employees and to avoid being aggressive or abusive leading up to the upcoming public holiday on Friday.
“I perceive the burden upon me as the influence it is exerting on our team,” he expressed to 7NEWS.com.au.
“It is fundamentally unjust to label these proud, diligent Australians as anti-Australian or woke.”
It is fair to direct it towards me, but not towards our team.
“We have seen a 50% rise in instances of aggression within our store, and this is completely unacceptable.”
“My message to all those observing is to show our team the same level of respect that they show you.”
Banducci calls on customers to treat staff with kindness and compassion
During his appearance on Sunrise on Wednesday morning, the CEO of Woolworths informed host Nat Barr that the company had placed a full-page advertisement in the newspaper to address the ongoing controversy and prevent any harassment towards its employees.
“He mentioned receiving extensive feedback from both our customers and team, as well as having the opportunity to review numerous incident reports.”
In our stores, there have been instances where individuals have vented their anger towards our team. Some people have shown rude behavior, while in certain cases, they even posed a threat to our team members.
“Considering everything mentioned, I believed it was crucial to emphasize our stance once again – evidently, we did not express it as clearly as we should have initially (when making this decision).”
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Woolworths: “We will not tolerate abuse of our staff”
In contrast, Mr Banducci claimed that the choice to get rid of the Australia Day products had not been received negatively.
“He stated that the decision we made together as a team has not been received negatively.”
However, I am concerned that individuals who experience frustration may resort to expressing their discontent in inappropriate ways.
During a conversation on a Sydney radio station called 2GB on the morning of Wednesday, the CEO of Woolworths also expressed regret for the way the retail company conveyed its decision regarding Australia Day.
He said that, judging from the feedback, it is safe to say that we could have communicated our decision more effectively.
“I apologize for the distress this has caused. We have observed an unacceptable amount of hostility directed towards our team, and it is unjust to blame them for it.”
