Whole Foods Market Inc. has changed it's English-only policy Friday according to the Huffington Post. The change reportedly comes after an online petition and Latino groups threatened to boycott the company for suspending two of their Spanish-speaking employees for speaking their native language at an Albuquerque store.
"I will give them a period of seven days to implement a new policy or we will hold them accountable," said Ralph Arellanes, state director of the New Mexico League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), at a news conference held outside the Albuquerque store.
A spokeswoman for the company, Libba Letton, initially supported the English-only policy claiming it protected customers from feeling disrespected because another language they don't understand was being used. She later claimed the suspension was due to the employees "rude and disrespectful behavior."
In a blog posting regarding the policy, Co-CEO Walter Robb said the "unfortunate incident does not reflect and is not in alignment with the spirit of this company."
"First, we sincerely apologize that a section of our handbook regarding Team Member interactions in the workplace was not clearly written, and for any misunderstandings of offense it has created. Its intention was to foster inclusion, not exclusion," he wrote.
No response from the employees who were suspended due to the English-only policy have been reported.
The Star Tribune reports Whole Foods new policy ask employees to speak English to English speaking customers "unless instructed otherwise." The consequences for those who disobey this policy have not been released.
According to NBC News, during the review of the company's English-only policy, Letton called out to "various civil rights groups" including the LULAC to "hear their perspective" on the issue in hopes of moving forward.
