Thread by @BusinessInsider

Moon Juice advertises itself as a virtuous wellness company whose products are of the highest quality and sourced sustainably and transparently.

But former employees say its practices don’t match its do-good ethos. ⬇️

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.@thisisinsider previously reported on Moon Juice’s founder Amanda Chantal Bacon and how some former employees felt founder Amanda Chantal Bacon put the brand’s image above her employees’ well-being.

https://twitter.com/BusinessInsider/status/1481022236064731142

Former employees say Moon Juice tried to present its shop employees, referred to as trained alchemists, as having some sort of expertise about supplements, despite inadequate training and near-minimum-wage pay.

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Former retail employees said the trained-alchemist title was misleading. Lauren, who worked as an assistant manager in 2019, said training “was rushed.” Some customers came to believe that the alchemists were equipped to provide advice for serious health issues.

Some former employees said there was confusion over Moon Juice’s claims about the sourcing of its products. They were perplexed after a man entered the store in 2020 saying he was the CEO of Altalena, a company that supplied ashwagandha to Moon Juice.

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Rehmannia Dean Thomas told Insider he became Moon Juice’s dust supplier after an employee at the Venice juice shop recommended him to Bacon. He says he made some samples for Bacon to taste, she liked them, and the dust products were born.

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Their partnership dissolved after a couple of months, but Thomas said there was no “acrimony” between him and Moon Juice. He did, however, say he created the original dust formulas, which Bacon has said she developed.

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Several former employees say the dissonance at Moon Juice extended to the way the company treated employees of color. In June 2020, Moon Juice posted on Instagram about the police killing of George Floyd.

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After Moon Juice’s post went live, some former store employees started compiling a Google Doc of testimonials from former coworkers detailing their experiences with racism and concerns about how the company handled the COVID-19 layoffs.

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Tawanee Ryan said that during her time at Moon Juice, the regional manager who oversaw the stores made “constant comments” about her appearance, most notably her hair, which she wore tied up in locks.

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The dress code in Moon Juice’s 2020 employee manual, which was viewed by Insider, didn’t dictate how hair should be worn, only that “good hygiene” was mandatory and that “your entire appearance must always look presentable, professional and non-offensive.”
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The regional manager, who is white, said she never singled out any of her employees. She added she felt pressure from Bacon and Moon Juice’s president, Elizabeth Ashmun, to make sure retail employees met Bacon’s high standards for appearance.

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Several former employees said they looked back on their time at Moon Juice with disappointment, having been disillusioned by their experiences there.

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