Pharmacy faces backlash for posting unpaid, ‘volunteer’ job listing: ‘Total BS’

Those seeking a paycheck need not apply.

A pharmacy in downtown Toronto is facing backlash online after posting a job for someone who would help customers, restock shelves, and organize inventory — all for no pay.

The listing on LinkedIn for the “volunteer” position at Shoppers Drug Mart in downtown Toronto was described as “crucial in ensuring that our customers have a positive and seamless shopping experience.”

It was taken down Thursday as X users bashed the store.

“Guess we should all stop shopping at Shoppers Drug Mart – if they don’t want to pay staff (even if they justify it as a ‘work experience’ project), then they don’t deserve profits,” said @glinda412164.

“Shoppers Drug Mart, offer wages to support our community instead of unpaid work!” added @ArjEdgeAnalyt.

“Total BS especially with the prices they charge,” continued @22carm13.

“My first reaction was this has to be a joke,” John Gunn, a decade-long customer of the pharmacy, told CBC News.

“From bringing your own bags, to packing your bags, to using self checkout, and now having the nerve to ask customers to volunteer literally stacking the shelves … there had to be a line drawn somewhere.” 

The “job posting was an error,” Shoppers Drug Mart’s parent company Loblaw told CBC via email, noting it is against company policy to use volunteers. 

The post was made by Emil Harba, the owner of the pharmacy, whose profile on LinkedIn was also been removed.

He told the outlet that as soon as he put up the listing, the corporation informed him of the no-volunteer policy.

He said he frequently gets messages from people inquiring about volunteer opportunities from those seeking work experience, so he “was trying to help people seeking Canadian experience.”

“The post wasn’t for any bad intentions, it was for good intentions,” he added.

People are not buying the explanations.

“An ‘error?’” asked @TPS_32Planner.

“A very carefully and clearly crafted error. Roblaws and Shoppers Drug Mart are lying.”