Starbucks, the major coffee house chain, has announced it would institute a new dress code for its employees, requiring them to all wear similar outfits underneath their iconic green aprons. However, the move has prompted a backlash from a labor union that is currently in negotiations with Starbucks, including over terms related to a potential dress code. The union has said that the move focuses on issues that impose additional requirements on employees while doing little to actually improve operations.
Starbucks Institutes New Dress Code
According to a recent announcement, Starbucks employees will be forced to wear a specific outfit starting on May 12, requiring them to wear a solid black shirt and khaki, black or blue denim bottoms. The dress code is similar to policies the company once had, which were relaxed in 2016 and 2019 to allow for different colors of shirts, and even allowing a facial piercing for employees. The return to a stricter policy is, according to Starbucks, intended to bring about “a more consistent coffeehouse experience that will also bring simpler and clearer guidance to our partners.”
Dress Code Prompts Labor Protest
While seemingly innocuous on its own, the announcement of the dress code elicited a negative response from Starbucks Workers United, a union that represents more than 550 Starbucks stores around the United States. According to the union, they were in the process of negotiating a contract with the company, including potential terms related to a dress code. This announcement effectively undercuts those negotiations, imposing new requirements before a union contract could be finalized.
Potential Legal Implications of the Dress Code
Dress codes can be more legally perilous than most people realize, with significant legal implications when they are mishandled. This is because many dress codes can be considered discriminatory when created carelessly, or when they are applied unevenly to employees. Moreover, in this case, there are potential labor law issues at play, because Starbucks chose to impose the dress code while it was in negotiations with a labor union representing its employees.
Why This Matters
Ultimately, while a dress code may not seem like the most significant issue in a legal dispute, it can be a sign of more significant problems at play. Employees are better able to protect themselves from abuses like discrimination and harassment when they hold employers to account for their abuses. That is why, if you get into any kind of legal dispute with your employer, you should speak to a lawyer with experience handling employment and labor law matters.
Steven Mitchell Sack, the Employee’s Lawyer, is a New York employment lawyer with more than 45 years’ experience handling the many aspects of employment law. His new book, “Fired!: Protect Your Rights & FIGHT BACK If You’re Terminated, Laid Off, Downsized, Restructured, Forced to Resign or Quit,” is available in hardback, and contains valuable advice on dealing with employment and labor law issues. To purchase the book, feel free to contact Steven Sack at 917-371-8000 or visit the website at legalstratpub.com. To inquire about a legal matter, please feel free to contact attorney Steven Sack at 917-371-8000 or stevensackatty@hotmail.com.
