Starbucks was hit with two class action lawsuits from its own employees on Wednesday after implementing major dress code changes in May. Employees in Illinois and Colorado allege the coffee giant refused to reimburse them for the cost of their new work attire. In California, employees have filed a similar complaint with the state’s Labor and Workforce Development Agency, and say they will become the third class action suit if their concerns are not addressed. The company’s new dress code requires employees to wear solid black shirts, a green apron, black, khaki, or blue denim bottoms or black dresses no more than 4 inches above the knee, and neutral-toned, waterproof footwear. The new policy also limits the approved number of facial piercings to one. Before the change, employees were allowed a wider variety of shirts. The company said in April that it would provide each employee with two new t-shirts to offset the cost of the change. However, the plaintiffs, whose suits are backed by the Starbucks Workers United union, allege they were denied reimbursement for additional wardrobe changes, including purchasing new shoes and removing facial piercings, which some people pay to get removed by a professional. In Illinois, Colorado, and California, employers are required by state law to reimburse workers for the cost of job-specific clothing if it is required as a condition of employment. Starbucks told the Daily Beast in part: “We simplified our dress code earlier this year to deliver a more consistent coffeehouse experience to our customers and provide our partners with simpler and clearer dress code guidance. As part of this change, and to ensure our partners were prepared, partners received two shirts at no cost.”
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