Sheetz is coming under fire for its so-called "smile policy."
The Altoona-based company says people with bad teeth are not qualified to work at Sheetz, According to Business Insider, Sheetz's employee handbook says applicants with "obvious missing, broken, or badly discolored teeth (unrelated to a disability) are not qualified for employment with Sheetz.".
As for employees who run into dental issues, they have 90 days to solve them or find a new job, according to the report.
But former employees say the policy is disgusting and classist.
Sheetz now says it is "reviewing" that policy.
Sheetz provided KDKA Radio with the following statement:
When Bob Sheetz founded Sheetz in 1952, he built a company based on community and taking care of people. We’re a company who cares, we care about our employees, we care about our customers and we care about the communities we serve. As a family-owned and operated company, our employees and communities are the core of Sheetz. If someone is struggling, we’re there to help with paid time off, flexibility and more. When someone has a baby, we’re there to foster that precious time with 12 weeks of fully paid time off. If someone is sick or needs dental care, we’re proud of our benefits but, if necessary, will provide financial assistance as well.
Throughout our history to date we have embraced an appearance policy, because we know how important a smile is to the customer experience when serving hospitality.
However, we are always reviewing our standing policies to make sure they best deliver on our values and our commitment to our customers and employees. Therefore, this appearance policy will continue to be under review.
We have always strived to treat our employees as our most valuable asset, because at Sheetz, we believe they are."