Email that Informs and Requests: Dress CodeControversy

As the Montreal-based director of Human Resources atSensational, you have not have a good week. The national mediarecently reported the fact that Sensational- a leading women'sfashion chain-has been taken before Nova Scotia Human RightsCommission to defend against a claim by a young woman . The youngwoman recently applied for a job at a Halifax Sensational locationand was told in pre-interview with a manager that "she'd never behired if she wore her headdress to work." Citing the Commission'swebsite claim that "its against the law to fire an employee becauseshe wear clothing that is required by his religion," the youngwoman logged a complaint. Head office in Vancouver has been indamage-control mode ever since.

Your Task: Quickly realizing the effects thenegative media reporting will have, you draft an email to allemployees. The purpose of the email is to reaffirm that Sensationalabides by and supports all Canadian Human rights legislation and,at the same time, that employees should not talk to any media thatmay ask them for comments. You realize that these two messages aresomewhat contradictory (one positive, one negative), but you feeltime is of the essence.

Related Website: Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission(www.gov.ns.ca/humanrights)