Shoppers Drug Mart

To Whom it May Concern,

Months after the incident, I finally have the courage to make this complaint against one of your despicable, insensitive and inappropriate employees.  This employee's comments were so rude and so vulgar that I wasn't sure how to begin writing this.

Earlier last year I had visited the Shoppers Drug Mart location in Pine Center Mall in Prince George and as I walked in a beauty department staff member was having what seemed like a deep and private conversation, one which was wholly inappropriate to be having at work. 

This woman, whose name is Debbie Macphee. She is a taller woman with a short brunette cut, possibly in her late 60s. On this evening in question she was alone and unsupervised, and the conversation that she was partaking in was nothing short of rude, insensitive, and narrow minded. I used to assume that everyone understood public etiquette or the mature notion behind "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it at all" because Debbie and her close workplace visitor were partaking in a conversation about a young lady who had gotten an abortion. Possibly thinking I had left the area, Debbie proceeded to say very vulgar and inappropriate things towards those who choose that same path of abortion. Words such as: not right, disgraceful, terrible decision, and shameful were being exchanged in addition to a great deal of judgement towards the young female they were rudely and grossley gossiping about. 

The reason this was so impactful is because I myself had opted to have an abortion earlier in my life for reasons that were, of course, very personal to me. Although this woman Debbie's comments were not directly directed towards myself, I was deeply impacted by her insensitive comments, which were so easily being discussed within earshot. I am educated, have a great career, and have turned my life around. I do not appreciate being insulted and judged for my life choice's by a retail level "lifer" who has chosen to do nothing with her life but sell eyeshadows, despite having all the opportunity to do better for herself - all the while passing judgement onto others for her meager life choices!

I support the positive initiatives that Shoppers Drug Mart partakes in, and coming into this store has always been a positive experience, but being met with such hateful and judgement words was indescribably shocking. I felt guilt, I felt shame, and I felt I was not in a safe public space any longer. I haven't been back to this store since.

Hearing two grown women speak so negatively about a topic, and with words like that, was appalling, and the purpose of this complaint is to inform you of this incident and how this woman's actions and words can impact those around you. Further, a workplace is not somebody's private arena to insult and judge others. This woman Debbie had mentioned that this young lady's actions were "disgraceful" and I must conclude that the only thing disgraceful here are the words and actions of Debbie herself. She should be ashamed of openly judging someone like this.  

Shoppers Drug Mart is a great company, one I have been a fellow customer of for years. I do not hold this individual's comments against the company; however, nor I will not be returning in the future.