Veterans affairs minister says Whole Foods reversing poppy ban

Grocery chain Whole Foods Market will reverse a heavily criticized policy forbidding employees from wearing poppies, Canada’s veterans affairs minister said Friday.

Lawrence MacAulay said he confirmed the move with the chief operating officer of the Amazon-owned retailer.

“Employees will now be able to wear their poppies at work, MacAulay said in a statement posted on Twitter. "Glad to hear they’re changing course.”

The U.S.-based Whole Foods had defended the rule earlier Friday, saying it was part of a blanket ban on anything other than the retailer’s basic uniform, and didn’t single out poppies.

But Prime Minister Justin ”Trude au said the policy was a “silly mistake” that he hoped would soon be fixed. The House of Commons also adopted a motion by unanimous consent calling on all Canadian employers to allow their staff to wear poppies during Veterans Week, which began Thursday.

Meanwhile, Ontario’s premier vowed to introduce legislation that would allow everyone to wear a poppy while at work in tthe week leading up to Remem- brance Day. Doug Ford had said he found the Whole Foods policy “absolutely disgraceful.”

His office said later Friday that the government still planned to proceed with the legislation.

Whole Foods had said earlier that it updated its dress-code policy last month to specify the ban on anything other than the standard uniform in an effort to clarify the rules for employees.

“Whole Foods Market honours the men and women who have and continue to bravely serve their country,” a spokesperson had said. “With the exception of those items required by law, our dress code policy prohibits any additions to our standard uniform.”