RETAILER PRIMARK HAS apologised after an employee in its Belfast store was told she was not allowed to wear a Christmas jumper that featured the Irish language.
Primark trades as Penneys in the Republic, and today said it was “really sorry that this incident took place”.
It was first reported in The Irish News, which noted that the young woman who is an Irish speaker wished to remain anonymous.
The young women was said to have been called into an office in the flagship store on Belfast’s Royal Avenue due to a “sensitive issue”.
The Irish News reports that in this meeting, the young woman was told she could not wear a Christmas jumper bearing the words ‘Nollaig shona’ (Irish for ‘Happy Christmas) as it could offend some people.
The paper adds that the woman was told it would have been acceptable for her to wear clothing featuring a language other than Irish, such as Spanish.
In a statement today, Primark said it “supports an inclusive workplace where everyone should feel welcome at work”.
The spokesperson added that “no company policy exists which prohibits the use of the Irish language on colleague clothing”.
“We are really sorry that this incident took place, this was an isolated event that should not have happened, and we are taking steps to provide further guidance to our colleagues on our workwear policy,” the statement added.
The Primark store in question was forced to close in August 2018 after a fire was started on the roof of the landmark Bank Building, which quickly engulfed the whole building.
It re-opened in November 2022.
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