Amazon’s Brooklyn Park Facility Begins Offering Hijabs to Workers
Amazon is making an effort to be more culturally responsive with its employee apparel options.
The initiative started in Brooklyn Park.
At its Brooklyn Park-based fulfillment center — a 120,000 square-foot facility called SMN1 — the e-commerce and tech giant unveiled new hijab designs.
Minneapolis-based company Henna and Hijabs designed them specifically for use in a warehouse.
Amazon associates adjust a hijab on a mannequin. Minneapolis-based company Henna and Hijabs designed them specifically for use in a warehouse.
Amazon site leader Michael Solovy reached out to the design firm after associates told him they wanted more inclusive and culturally-responsive apparel.
“I think it was mainly around the inclusiveness of seeing others wear t-shirts, or hats, or other apparel options that we had with our site logo and wanting to have something that they could wear to the workplace as well,” Solovy said.
Amazon provides the hijabs to associates for free.
“When I found out and I saw the first day, I kind of fell in love with it,” said Hawa Noor, Amazon associate. “So I was like, amazing. Workplace and outside of work? Great combo.”
Amazon expects to make these hijabs available at more warehouses across Minnesota and the nation.
“As much as I love wearing the [hijabs] that I have, the ones that we just got are very comfortable and they stay on pretty still,” Noor said. “Whereas these ones are more flowy and it moves around, and I’ve got to fix it every five minutes or so.”
