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Food handlers at Red Lobster are banned from wearing Remembrance Day poppies

by Yuliya Talmazan | November 10, 2008 at 04:28 pm

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The employees at a Red Lobster restaurant in Calgary, Alberta, are not allowed to wear Remembrance Day poppies while working in the kitchen because of safety concerns that parts of them might lend in someone’s meal. Some employees are outraged, saying it is appalling to not let them wear poppies as a sign of remembrance. The restaurant’s manager claims poppy-related safety issues have arisen before, and the food chain is just not taking any chances.

A server at Red Lobster at 2316 16 Ave. N.W. who wanted to remain anonymous, said he was shocked when his manager told him to remove his poppy while on the job.

"I wear a poppy every day and I went into work and the manager came over to me and said we aren't allowed to wear a poppy and not to argue about it," he said.

But the restaurant's manager Jose Torres said while he agrees wearing a poppy is an important way to show respect for those who fought for our country, the rule applies to those who handle or prepare food and was implemented as a safety precaution for guests.

"We had an occurrence last year where one of the pins fell into food," he said.

He said servers and cooks are asked to keep their poppy in their wallet or a safe place until after their shift is over, when they can put it back on.