DES MOINES, Iowa — Amid protests against the store chain, and the demands protesters have brought to the table, Hy-Vee released a response, saying they don't need to change much of anything.
According to Senior VP of Communications Tina Potthoff, the vast majority of things protesters are asking for are already covered in their policies.
Protests against Hy-Vee were sparked when Jassma’ray “Jazzy” Johnson, a former employee at Hy-Vee's location at Park Ave. and SE 14th in Des Moines, took to social media saying she had been sent to work in the back of the store as a punishment for attending a protest.
Johnson worked at Hy-Vee for three years before recently choosing to leave, saying her time at the store was a risk for her physical, mental and emotional health.
"I've worked at Hy-Vee for 3 years and have dealt with a series of different conflicts while working there," Johnson said in a Facebook post. "Hy-Vee number 3 has exposed me to sexism, racism and a national pandemic all at once."
Hy-Vee denies the specific allegation Johnson made, saying she was moved to the Aisles Online department for one day because they needed the extra help. They also say they allowed Johnson to leave work early to attend the protest in question.
Hy-Vee says they have made several efforts to reach out to Johnson to understand and resolve the conflict, but to no avail.