Unemployed female veteran hits out at Macy's after sales boss said her 'mindset' wasn't right for a store job because she'd been to war



Army Specialist Kayla Reyes claims she was denied a job at Macy's in February because her military service made her unsuitable

Recently returned from a 1-year deployment to Afghanistan

Attended a job interview at a Fresno, California shopping mall and was told she had no skills to deal with customers

Complained to her friends on Facebook - and the post was widely shared online

Macy's subsequently offered her job - which Reyes turned down



Denied: Kayla Reyes claims that when she interviewed for a position at Macy's she was told that her service in the Army made her ill-suited for the job

A 21-year-old Afghanistan veteran claims she was denied a job in Macy's specifically because of her service in the war-torn nation.



Kayla Reyes says she interviewed for a job on the sales floor at Fresno's Fashion Fair mall in February but was told that she wouldn't be able to relate to customers because she had seen combat.



Reyes, who enlisted in the military at the age of 17, claims that the interview took a turn for the worse when her 4-year army career came up and that the hiring manager said, 'Being that you've been over there, you wouldn't really know how to approach people.'



Stunned, Reyes said the manager continued and said that having spent a year dealing with IED's and the Taliban, 'Once a customer's in your face, you wouldn't know how to do it. You wouldn't know how to react.'



Collecting herself, Reyes said that when she realized the hiring manager had serious misconceptions, she tried to object.



However, Reyes said that instead of listening, the Macy's manager insisted that a role in store security was probably better suited for her.



'She's like, 'Well I've been here 15 years, I know you wouldn't be able to do good here.' She's like, 'There's another job in loss prevention,' and she was like, 'That's what you're good for--that's what you do,' Reyes said to CBS.

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California: Reyes has said that when she applied for a job at Fresno's Fashion Fair mall in February the interviewing manager said that an army career did not mean she was qualified for a sales position on the floor

Having returned from her deployment to enlist in the National Guard, Reyes said that she was disappointed by her treatment and took to Facebook to share her experience.



'It kind of shocked me because I'm with her almost every day. I talk to her on a daily basis, and she's the most social person I know,' said Justine Williams, Reyes's best friend, in reaction to the response Reyes received.



Her update was shared tens of thousands of times and Reyes received messages of support from across the country.



Macy's released a statement regarding the incident last month.

'Employing veterans is a priority at Macy’s, and we have proudly hired thousands to work within our stores and corporate organization,' said Betsy Nelson, Macy's vice president of media.



'Our commitment to veterans is strong, as we recognize that veterans possess leadership skills that we find are essential in a dynamic department store environment.



'Ms. Reyes’ application for a position with Macy’s is, in fact, still under consideration as we continue to consider the types of retail jobs that may be available.



'We are actively looking for an appropriate open position that would be best suited for her skills and experience level, as we do with all prospective employees.'

Discrimination? Reyes took to Facebook to express her frustration and the posting was shared thousands of times - leading to a response from Macy's

Service: Kayla Reyes joined the army when she was 17 and recently returned to civilian life and attempted to apply for a job at Macy's in Fresno

Reyes claims that a Macy's representative contacted after her story was shared across the Internet and offered her job.



However, Reyes claims that she turned the job down and accepted a position with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.



At a Fresno military recruitment office, Navy veteran Megan Newman told CBS that those with army experience have many transferable skills.



'They set you up to guide employers and see you not just as a member of the military but as someone with transferable experience,' said Newman.



Seeking to clarify the situation, Macy's posted again on Friday to their own Facebook page to deny discrimination against Reyes.

Afghan veteran: When Macy's executives discovered that they may have inadvertently offended a member of the military they offered Reyes (seen here in Afghanistan) a job. She turned them down

'As a company that stands for inclusion in the workplace and our stores, we do not tolerate discrimination of any kind.



'We proudly employ thousands of veterans within our organization, as we know that veterans possess leadership skills that are an asset in a dynamic department store environment.



'As with any prospective employee, we actively looked for appropriate and available positions that would be best suited for Ms. Reyes’ skills and experience level, and, in fact, identified and offered her a job at our store. We were disappointed when she declined.'



Reyes replied to this stating, 'Correct. A few weeks after the interview and after this story went viral, I did receive an email for a job there.



'I was very respectful in my response to them. I did not feel comfortable working in a store where a job was offered to me because of the way this has all turned out.

