Anger as store advertises jobs for cool, good-looking people

MSP says message ‘not appropriate’ and calls for it to be removed immediately

By Lori Reid

Published:

The entrance to the Abercrombie and Fitch store

SIGN OF TIMES: The advert for good-looking people. Kami Thomson

Riam Dean: won her case

An international clothing company has been criticised for an advertisement seeking “good-looking” people to apply for jobs at its Aberdeen store.

US-based Abercrombie and Fitch is due to open a store in Union Square next month.

An A4 poster outside the store states: “We are looking for cool and good-looking people to come and represent our brands”.

But last night, a spokesman for the company, said: “We do not believe that it is in any way discriminatory.”

Last year, law student Riam Dean won a wrongful-dismissal case after she was forced to work in the London store’s stockroom because her prosthetic arm did not fit the company’s strict looks policy.

Miss Dean, who was born without a left forearm, claimed she had been bullied into resigning from the company last July. The firm was ordered to pay her more than £9,000 damages for injury to her feeling and loss of earnings.

The store held group interviews in Aberdeen earlier this week, when employees were told they would have to adhere to a certain image if they got the job.

One woman who was at the interview but did not want to be named said: “At the interview the girls were told they had to have brown, blonde or black hair.

“If it was dyed, then they weren’t allowed to have any dark roots.

“We were told we were only allowed to wear flip-flops and certain colours of clothes. The men have to be clean-shaven and there would be razors and gel in the toilets for them to use if they came into work without shaving.”

The woman said most of the people at the interview had been approached in Union Square by staff from Abercrombie and Fitch, who offered them an interview based on their appearance.

She said: “They didn’t ask for any references, CVs or if we had any retail experience. “They asked us three questions. One was why should we work here, and most people said it was because they have had modelling experience.”

North East Labour MSP Richard Baker called for the advertisement to be removed immediately.

He said: “This company has had past issues where employability depends on people’s looks.

“This is a concern and it is not the appropriate way to advertise, given their background. I think they should immediately drop this poster. It’s quite clear to me that this could be seen as discrimination.”

David Hughes, employment-law partner at Simpson and Marwick solicitors in Aberdeen, said the company was not breaking any laws with the advert, but it could be interpreted as discrimination.

He said: “Simply putting something in an advert that says they want to employ cool and good-looking people doesn’t really result in discrimination. It depends on how they apply that policy.

“They may very well apply that in a discriminatory way.

“This could be through age discrimination or through physical appearance.

“For example, if someone had a facial disfigurement, that could be classed as a disability and therefore it could be discrimination if they would not employ them.

“Its different if they were looking for an actor or a model to fit a stereotypical idea of what ‘good-looking’ is, but not for working at a store.”

The company spokesman said: “Abercrombie and Fitch has a strong anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policy and is committed to ensuring a diverse work force and to providing equal employment opportunities to all individuals.

“We are looking for fun people with a great appearance and sense of style to represent our brand and market our clothes.

“Diversity is always an important part of our staffing strategy. We believe there are fun people with great appearance and sense of style from all backgrounds and walks of life and we do not tolerate discrimination in hiring or employment.”