DES MOINES, Iowa — The retail industry, which was hit hard due to the coronavirus, is slowly starting to rebound as more and more Americans become vaccinated, and federal, state, and local health officials are easing up on mask mandates for those fully vaccinated.
But some employees are facing some trying challenges.
Employees at Claire's store in Des Moines, Iowa, voiced their concern about their wages and the lack of respect they received from customers.
According to WTHR, Lindsay Crowe was shopping at the Jordan Creek Mall when she noticed two signs hanging on the glass of the store.
She posted the signs on her Facebook page."Sorry! We are closed due to the fact that Claire's does not pay or appreciate their employees enough. We are tired of it! Bye," the top sign read.
The second sign said, "PSA: CUSTOMERS: Retail workers are tired. Stay kind & respectful, or stay home. This location has run 2 good people ragged."
As of Wednesday afternoon, the post has been shared more than 1,600 times.
Crowe told WTHR that she is trying to be "more mindful and kinder to service employees during the pandemic."
Claire's commented on Crowe's post, saying, "Thank you for notifying us about this. We appreciate it and will be investigating this immediately."
In a statement to EW Scripps, Claire's said that the pandemic has caused them to face "staffing challenges like much of the retail and service industry."
"We value all of our employees and are constantly working to allow each individual to prosper through competitive pay, benefits, and personal growth. We will continue to strive to be a great place to work," Claire's said in the statement.
