Claire's has issued a statement following an employee quitting over conflicting values when it comes to piercing children's ears.
Yesterday, CKTB published the story of Raylene Marks, who quit her job at an Edmonton Claire's after refusing to pierce the ears of a child who did not want her ears pierced.
You can read that story by clicking here.
In a statement sent to CKTB, Claire's says:
Claire’s has been piercing ears for more than 40 years, and has pierced over 100 million ears. Customer well-being is our main priority, and we ensure that any child piercing we do is carried out with the best care in consultation with, and with the agreement of the legal guardian.
In relation to the ear piercing incident involving the former employee Raylene Marks, we believe she acted appropriately and in line with our policy by refusing to do the piercing. The policy is in place to ensure that if a child is distressed or resisting, Claire’s employees have the right to refuse to continue the piercing. We are investigating the specific store instances she mentions, and will take appropriate corrective action. We will also be reviewing the policy to ensure that the intent is clear.