A Canadian global technology company is facing a workplace harassment investigation following allegations of targeted hostility against a Jewish employee. Amanda Rafael, a former sales employee at Lightspeed Commerce Inc., has filed a complaint with Quebec's labour tribunal, claiming she endured psychological harassment and antisemitic treatment after the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023.
Allegations of Antisemitic Harassment
Rafael, 34, stated that her relationship with colleagues deteriorated immediately after the attacks. She reported receiving antisemitic images, threatening messages, and being excluded from shared sales leads. Despite alerting supervisors, she claims the company failed to intervene or protect her. “They knew I was Jewish and they knew that I am a Zionist,” Rafael said in an interview. “I was confused how these people can be my friends one day and then the next day hate me with a capital H.”
Impact on Mental Health and Employment
The harassment escalated to the point where Rafael could no longer perform her job effectively. She alleged that she was not receiving sales leads, which are essential for her role. After consulting her doctor, she went on sick leave. “All the bad feels is what I felt: Lonely, confused, hurt, isolated. And ultimately it led me to have a really bad breakdown,” she recounted.
Legal Proceedings and Company Response
Rafael's complaint was initially investigated by Quebec's labour standards authority and then forwarded to the province's administrative labour tribunal for a hearing. Lightspeed is challenging the allegations. In a written response, the company stated it takes the allegations seriously and investigated them, but cannot comment on pending proceedings. “Lightspeed is committed to providing a safe workplace environment and has a zero-tolerance policy toward workplace violence, harassment and discrimination, including hate speech and antisemitism,” the company said.
Background on Lightspeed
Lightspeed Commerce Inc. is a point-of-sale and payments platform founded in Montreal in 2005. It has expanded to serve clients in over 100 countries. When it went public in 2019, it was hailed as the most successful initial public offering by a Canadian tech company in nearly a decade, earning the status of a “unicorn.”
