How a new look turned into a labor battle at Starbucks

Starbucks workers took legal action against the company on Wednesday over its newly imposed dress code. The workers accused Starbucks of refusing to reimburse employees for expenses related to its new dress code, thereby breaking the law. 

The workers, backed by the union, filed class-action lawsuits in Illinois and Colorado, and filed complaints with California’s Labor and Workforce Development Agency in a push for the agency to penalize the coffee chain. According to the lawsuits, Colorado state law prohibits employers from imposing expenses on workers without the workers’ consent. Meanwhile, several plaintiffs say they asked their employer to reimburse them for funds they spent on new clothing, but their requests were denied.  

Starbucks announced the changes to the company uniform earlier this year as part of its “Back to Starbucks” initiative. It said starting in May, workers would be required to wear solid black shirts under their aprons, and khaki, black, or blue denim bottoms. At the time, Starbucks said it would give each employee two free T-shirts. While the uniform has remained largely the same over the years, in 2016, the company loosened its dress code to allow for different shirt colors, as well as brightly colored hair, and hats. Some employees said the changes lifted morale and allowed for greater freedom of expression on the job. 

This year, that freedom of expression was rolled back. “By updating our dress code, we can deliver a more consistent coffeehouse experience that will also bring simpler and clearer guidance to our partners, which means they can focus on what matters most, crafting great beverages and fostering connections with customers,” the company said in an April 14 statement.

However, the union has expressed anger that changes to the dress code are “restrictive” and happened “without input from the baristas it affects.” Likewise, workers feel there are other more important issues Starbucks should be focused on. In a September statement, Strategic Organizing Center Research Director Joan Moriarty said that a new union survey found huge issues with understaffing in Starbucks stores, with nine out of 10 respondents saying it’s a concern. “The results of our survey demonstrate how Brian Niccol’s plan for Starbucks isn’t coming close to getting the company back on track for its workers and customers,” Moriarty said. 

Moriarty added, “Starbucks baristas and shift supervisors told us loud and clear that they’re still struggling with understaffing, erratic scheduling, and an unsustainable pace of work. It’s long past time for Starbucks to listen to its workers, return to the bargaining table, and get to work on a real comeback strategy for Starbucks.”

For the past three years, the union has been pushing for a contract that includes higher wages, guaranteed hours, and better staffing. Jasmine Leli, a Starbucks barista and union bargaining delegate, said in a previous statement, “Instead of addressing the most pressing issues baristas have been raising for years, Starbucks is prioritizing a limiting dress code that won’t improve the company’s operation.” 

Leli added, “They’re forcing baristas to pay for new clothes when we’re struggling as it is on Starbucks wages and without guaranteed hours.”

At the time, a Starbucks spokesperson told Fast Company that the union would be better served if it “put the same effort into coming back to the table to finalize a reasonable contract” than attacking the dress code.