Response To The September 16 CBC News Story

Recently, the CBC ran a news story regarding a former employee enrolled in our training program not attending the work place in proper work attire. Over the past few days we have received a number of comments on our social media channels about this incident.

While it wouldn't be appropriate for us to comment on any one individual's past employment with Alberta Honda, or the particulars of this situation, we do want to provide some additional context:

• Our employees are required to wear appropriate workplace attire during the course of their employment. This requirement is applied to everyone equally, regardless of gender. The sales personnel are required to wear professional business attire and those requirements are reviewed with them during the hiring process.
• Staffing decisions are never taken lightly and typically involve a number of factors. From our initial review of the situation in question, we believe that our managers dealt with this matter appropriately given all of the circumstances involved and will provide a more fulsome response in the appropriate legal forum.
• We are strongly committed to gender equality both in the workplace as well as in how we deal with staff and customers at all times and equality for all is a corner stone of our core values.

We believe having these conversations is an important step for advancing gender equality issues, but ask it to be done respectfully in any online discussions, and not by targeting our current employees or former staff member.

As this matter is the subject of ongoing legal proceedings we will not be commenting further at this time.

Thanks,

Alberta Honda