Starbucks staff are suing the coffee shop over its ‘tone deaf’ new dress code
Starbucks’ controversial new policy that has left its employees up in arms
- Starbucks is facing legal challenges in three US states after employees initiated action over a new dress code, claiming the company failed to reimburse them for required clothing.
- Workers, backed by the Starbucks Workers United union, have filed class-action lawsuits in Illinois and Colorado, and lodged complaints with California’s Labor and Workforce Development Agency.
- The new dress code, implemented on 12 May, mandates plain black shirts, specific bottoms and shoes, and prohibits certain tattoos and piercings, with Starbucks providing only two complimentary T-shirts.
- Employees allege the policy violates state laws requiring employers to cover expenses that primarily benefit the company, forcing them to spend their own money on new work attire.
- This legal action marks a shift in tactics for the unionisation effort, moving from National Labor Relations Board charges to state court lawsuits, as the NLRB's capacity to hear cases has been limited.