Starbucks employees in the United States sued over the company's new dress code

Starbucks employees in three American states have filed lawsuits against the company, claiming that the coffee giant violated the law by changing the dress code and refusing to reimburse employees who had to buy new clothes. The New York Post writes about this on September 18.

Employees of the coffee chain have filed class action lawsuits in the courts of the states of Illinois and Colorado. The workers also filed complaints with the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency. If the agency decides not to sanction Starbucks, employees will file a class action lawsuit in a California court.

According to the new dress code, all employees in North America are required to wear a plain black shirt with short or long sleeves under a green apron. They should also wear khaki, black or blue denim trousers without patterns or fringes, as well as plain black dresses not much above the knee. The dress code also requires employees to wear black, gray, dark blue, brown, light brown, or white shoes made of waterproof material.

Student Brooke Allen, who works at a Starbucks in California, said that in July, the manager told her that her shoes did not meet the new standards and she would have to wear another one if she wanted to go to work the next day.

Allen spent about $60 on matching shoes and an additional $86.95 on work clothes, including black shirts and jeans.

"I think the company is extremely short-sighted in requiring its employees to completely redo their wardrobe without any compensation <...> Many of us already live from paycheck to paycheck," Allen said.

In March, it was reported that a jury in California ruled that the Starbucks coffee chain should pay $50 million in damages to a delivery driver who suffered serious burns due to an incorrectly closed lid on a hot drink. In court, the victim, Michael Garcia, said that as a result of the incident, he received "physical pain, mental suffering, loss of joy in life, humiliation, inconvenience, grief, disfigurement, physical impairment, anxiety and emotional suffering."

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