Lorna Jane is once again in trouble after a former staff member is suing the company for work place bullying over her weight.
The fitness clothing label is being sued by former store manager Amy Robinson, 39, who claims she was bullied by senior staff regularly about her weight during her time with the company in 2012.
Robinson, a mother-of-three, is claiming more than $500,000 for pain and suffering sustained during her time at Lorna Jane’s Brisbane Airport DFO store.
Robinson, a size 14, is accusing Lorna Jane staff of repeatedly quizzing her general health and exercise regimen to make sure she fit the “move, nourish, believe” mantra.
“I don’t think there were many girls who were over a size 10 and they were all young and attractive, with many working as models on the side.
“I’m a mum with kids, and a senior staff member would constantly suggest I skip lunch, or make offhand comments about my lifestyle choices. (Some staff) would often skip meals and live on coffee, and (they) tried to encourage us to do the same thing. We were meant to be nourishing our bodies but we were never allowed to do that.
“I always considered myself a strong, resilient person and to go from being in a happy place to being completely depressed was really scary. There is a huge bullying culture in the company, and people need to know about it.”
Lorna Jane spokeswoman Belinda Zordan said the company denies all of Robinson’s allegations: “We are speaking to our legal team regarding defamatory action against Ms Robinson,” Zordan said.
“We can say that in 26 years of business the company has never experienced any such legal claims, despite providing employment for thousands of people.”
This isn’t the first time Lorna Jane has been accused of wanting staff to follow a strict diet and body measurements. Earlier this year, a Lorna Jane ad for a receptionist/model was posted on job-searing site Seek was quickly removed after the job was only available to size small females.
