Russian fashion brand Old Baby Shop is facing a widespread public boycott after firing a Saint Petersburg store employee who asked for time off following the sudden death of her grandfather.
Details of the dispute were first reported by the Telegram news channel Ostorozhno Novosti. The worker, identified as Tamara, had been employed at the clothing brand's branch in Saint Petersburg for approximately one year. Tamara stated that she had never taken sick leave during her tenure and had always maintained a responsible record at the retail store, which is located in Russia's second largest city.
Trouble began when Tamara learned of the sudden death of her beloved grandfather and requested time off. She informed her manager in a workplace group chat that she needed leave to assist her family with funeral arrangements.
Workplace chat dispute
Her employer responded by asking whether the funeral ceremony was taking place that day or if she was seeking time off due to her psychological state. The employer told her that if her absence was due to her emotional state she should report to work anyway, stating that her grandfather would have wanted her to remain responsible.
When Tamara explained that she needed to support her mother during the crisis, the employer issued an ultimatum. She was told she had to either complete her scheduled shift or face immediate single day termination.
The brand's owner, identified as Anna, subsequently joined the group chat and escalated the confrontation. Anna declared that if Tamara chose her mother over her job, the company would end its working relationship with her immediately.
Following Tamara's refusal to work the shift, she reported receiving threats from management. Anna told Tamara that fulfilling work duties was her primary obligation and urged her to consider whether her mother possessed the financial means to support her. Anna also publicly dismissed the employee as an infantile Zoomer, referring to the demographic term for Generation Z.
Public reaction and online backlash
Unable to tolerate the workplace treatment, Tamara published details of the interaction and chat messages on her personal Instagram account. Parent company Meta was designated as an extremist organization and banned in Russia in 2022, but the platform remains widely used across the country via virtual private networks.
Social media users quickly rallied to support the former retail employee. Commenters expressed deep sympathy over the repulsive treatment she had faced and described the company's actions as the most disgusting story they had encountered.
Other users noted that company management had no right to launch personal attacks involving Tamara's mother and late grandfather. Online critics added that dismissing a staff member on the very day a close relative passed away was rock bottom, calling the executive behavior unacceptable.
Similar commercial boycotts
The public outcry against Old Baby Shop follows similar consumer backlash against retail brands in the region. In May, consumers in Kazakhstan launched a boycott against cosmetic company Sen Sulu after the brand featured Russian social media blogger Valya Karnaval in an advertising campaign.
