Shocking video shows the moment an Officeworks manager refuses to laminate a Jewish man’s newspaper because she is ‘pro-Palestine’.
The customer, who was wearing a yarmulke at the time of the incident, took an article from the Australian Jewish News newspaper to an Officeworks store in Elsternwick, Melbourne’s east, on March 4.
The piece was titled ‘The Indomitable Spirit of Our People’ and featured a photo of a group holding the Australian and Israeli flags.
After reading the newspaper, the Officeworks manager refused to help the Jewish man, saying, “I’m pro-Palestine.”
She claimed that Officeworks policy gave her the right to refuse service to the man based on her political beliefs. Officeworks has since clarified that this is incorrect.
“I don’t feel comfortable going through with this (the job),” the manager told the man.
The customer asked, “Maybe there is another employee who would be more comfortable doing this.”
An Officeworks employee refused to laminate the Australian Jewish News newspaper page because it was ‘pro-Palestine’
She claimed that Officeworks’ policy gave her the right to refuse service to the man based on her political beliefs. Officeworks has since clarified that this is incorrect
The worker replied, “You can wait for Maddie and see if she likes it, but I know I don’t.
“I am pro-Palestine and I don’t feel comfortable with that for political reasons.”
The customer questioned whether Officeworks’ policy allowed employees to refuse service based on their personal beliefs.
Instead of responding, the employee asked if she was being filmed by the man and threatened to call the police if he did not leave the store.
The customer has since filed a complaint with the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, alleging that Officeworks discriminated against him on the grounds of his race and religion by refusing to provide service.
“This incident has caused my family and me great sadness and has left us questioning whether it is safe to visit our local shops and carry out our usual activities,” he said.
‘No staff member intervened during the situation with the manager. The shame and intimidation we experienced has had a lasting impact.’
Officeworks has since apologised, but will not fire the manager. Instead, she will be sent for ‘education and training’, including a visit to the Holocaust Museum in Melbourne.
“We can confirm that we take this matter extremely seriously and that, after the issue arose, we conducted an internal investigation and took appropriate action to ensure this does not happen again,” the spokesperson said.
The Australian Jewish News publication that the worker refused to laminate
‘In this particular incident our policies were incorrectly applied and the lamination should have been carried out in accordance with Officeworks policies.
‘In addition, we provide ongoing training and education to our team members so that they are aware of legal requirements regarding discrimination and Officeworks’ policies and procedures.’
Dr. Dvir Abramovich, chairman of the Anti-Defamation Commission, strongly criticized the worker.
“Who would have thought that in Melbourne in 2024 people would be denied a church service because of their faith and because of Israel?” he said.
“We must have zero tolerance for this kind of profiling and indefensible prejudice.
‘No one should be excluded or disqualified from service because of his or her ethnic origin, the country he or she supports, gender, religion, belief or sexual orientation.
“Being different should be a reason to celebrate, not a burden that makes you susceptible to prejudice.”
Dr Abramovich said the incident was a “stain” on Melbourne’s reputation as a multicultural and welcoming city.
“It’s time for Officeworks to move beyond fine words and actually get the message across that Jewish Australians and anyone who supports Israel are welcome in their stores,” he said.
“I call on the Human Rights Commission and the government to condemn this unacceptable behaviour.”
The employee threatened to call the police when she realized the man was filming her and asked him to leave the store
