A job seeker is racking up viewers on TikTok after claiming a Lush manager insulted her appearance during a job interview.
TikTok user Kat (@kattykat_420) posted the video last month, and it has accumulated more than 803,000 views.
The text overlay reads, “When I went in for an interview at lush and the manager told me ‘we need to look like we use the products not need the products’ then turned me down.”
Lush is a British cosmetics brand based in the U.K., which includes more than 950 stores globally. The brand is known for being 10% employee owned and for its vegan products.
In the caption, Kat wrote, “I didn’t know I was going into a casting call I thought it was an interview my mistake.”
@kattykat_420 i didnt know i was going into a casting call i thought it was an interview my mistake #fyp #fypシ #xcyzba #trending #trend #viral ♬ original sound – Cas
The Daily Dot reached out to Lush via email and Kat via TikTok DM for comment.
In the comment section of Kat’s video, former Lush interviewees and employees weighed in on Kat’s experience.
“I worked at Lush, and I got a buzz cut, the store manager told me I had to wear makeup now because I looked like an egg. Then he got fired,” user Saph (@saphsage) wrote.
Amanda (@amandamariesays) wrote, “I used to work for Lush, and they have some of the worst managers ever.”
“Guess their ethics are limited to their ingredients [because] WHAT? That’s so mean,” user @warriorprincessdiaries said.
“I did an interview at [Victoria’s Secret] once when I was 17, and they told me I don’t have the look [because] none of the clothes would fit. I was appalled,” user Amber (@aaamberw98) said.
It is illegal in the U.S. to discriminate in the workplace because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetic information. However, outside of those protected classes, there is no rule prohibiting employers from participating in what is called “appearance discrimination.” Abercrombie & Fitch has become notoriously known for a lawsuit in the early 2000s, where the retailer was accused of discriminating against applicants of color and actively keeping employees of color out of public view. The brand ended up settling the lawsuit in 2004 for $40 million.
