LETHBRIDGE, Alta. — Just as Canadians are preparing to observe Remembrance Day, there is news McDonald’s employees at a Lethbridge, Alta., location have been banned from wearing poppies during their shift.
McDonald’s Canada said employees who work behind the counter are not allowed to wear traditional poppies because “straight pins pose a potential serious safety hazard in food preparation areas,” reports the Winnipeg Free Press.
According to The Globe and Mail, the Alberta Health Department said there is no legislation banning the use of pins, while Garth Whyte, president of the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservice Association, defended McDonald’s position, saying, “There’s a danger it could fall into the food and become a choking hazard.”
Meanwhile, McDonalds has issued a statement. “We encourage all our employees to wear poppies on their outerwear as their way of saluting the efforts of our veterans and our forces currently in action.” The company also supports the Royal Canadian Legion by allowing veterans to sell poppies at their restaurants.
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