The second such incident within nine months at a store run by James Pascoe Group has led to its head office issuing a stern warning to staff that discrimination, on any grounds, will not be tolerated.

Mona Alfadli, 25, applied for a job as a retail assistant position at the New Lynn Stewart Dawsons on July 9. She says she was told it was a "waste of time" if she wouldn't remove her hijab.

"I felt embarrassed as it took a lot of courage to walk into the shop and speak to the manager regarding a job, especially since I was afraid of the rejection." Read more