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Earlier this week, Starbucks brewed up an employee relations storm by announcing a new uniform policy that changes what baristas can and can’t wear in its stores.
The new dress code clamps down on the number of colors that baristas can wear.
While a press release from the coffee chain said it will “deliver a more consistent coffeehouse experience,” employees are less impressed by the policy change.
Unionized Starbucks staff have rallied against the move, calling on the policy to be scrapped and demanding that CEO Brian Niccol become more involved in the bargaining process.
Not exactly what Starbies' bosses had in mind, then, when they suggested the new dress code would help employees be more focused on “crafting great beverages and fostering connections with customers.”
Why is Starbucks’ new uniform policy causing a stir?
The notice, announced Monday, stipulated that from May 12, Starbucks baristas will no longer be allowed to wear any color of top.
In-store employees must instead wear “any solid black short and long-sleeved crewneck, collared, or button-up shirts and any shade of khaki, black, or blue denim bottoms.”
Previously, employees were permitted to wear bottoms, hats, footwear, and outerwear in any shade of black, navy, brown, grey, khaki, or white.
“We’re evolving our dress code in all stores to focus on simplified color options that allow our iconic green apron to shine and create a sense of familiarity for our customers, no matter which store they visit across North America,” the statement from Starbucks said.
“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.”
But staff aren’t thrilled about the “clearer guidance.” Starbucks Workers United, a union representing more than 10,000 employees in over 500 stores, told The Independent it disagreed with the new policy and had already contacted leadership demanding it be revoked.
The union argued that the new policy will come at the expense of employees and is a distraction from key bargaining issues, including fair pay and work schedules.
“Starbucks’ top priority should be finalizing fair contracts with union baristas so we have the staffing, guaranteed hours, and support we need to do our jobs,” said Jasmine Leli, a Starbucks barista and union bargaining delegate. “Workers United has written to Starbucks demanding no dress code change be implemented at union-represented stores until bargaining concludes.”
The union argued that a stricter dress code is an attempt to “force a specific cultural vision that is counter to building an authentic, inclusive ‘third place’ where workers and customers can feel like they belong.”
Starbucks’ uniform: Key for consistency, attack on inclusion, or tool for distraction?
Starbucks is hardly the first employer, particularly within the food and beverage industry, to enforce a strict policy around what employees can and can’t wear while at work. Nearly a quarter of US employees wear a uniform to work each day.
Studies have found that uniforms can be good for company culture and team unity, and a move to better spotlight the “iconic green apron” is undeniably a sensible branding move, with the chain describing the color as its “most identifiable asset.”
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Indeed, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) does not ban employers from requiring employees to follow a given dress code or making them wear a uniform.
So, a stricter dress code in itself is not a glaring issue, and while Workers United claimed it “won’t improve the company’s operations,” it could certainly prove to be a vital part of broader branding efforts to improve the in-store customer experience for customers.
However, questions can be raised about the implementation of the policy. Although Starbucks has promised to provide employees with two shirts, many workers will likely have to shell out for new items of clothing to meet the policy.
The FLSA does prohibit employers from making employees pay for their uniforms, provided the expense would cause their pay to fall below minimum wage.
“They’re forcing baristas to pay for new clothes when we’re struggling as it is on Starbucks wages and without guaranteed hours,” Leli argued, adding that the company did not sufficiently consider how this would impact the lives of employees day-to-day.
“It’s time for Brian Niccol to get involved in the bargaining process and hear from us directly on what Starbucks partners actually need to succeed,” she said. Starbucks has drawn ire over its staggering $113million pay package for Niccol, CEO, while staff continue to push for better pay.
A spokesperson for Starbucks told HR Grapevine: "Since last April Starbucks and Workers United have held more than nine bargaining sessions over 20 days and three mediation sessions over five days with a federal mediator."
"We’ve reached over thirty (30) meaningful agreements on hundreds of topics Workers United delegates told us were important to them," they continued. "Starbucks remains committed to good faith bargaining to reach a framework for single store contracts for our partners represented by the union."
A change to the worker experience of this scale, particularly one with financial repercussions, certainly requires careful management and in-depth listening between employee and employer.
However, despite the ongoing bargaining sessions - set to include further discussions on the dress code - it does seem that to date, Starbucks may have fallen short in both addressing the impact of the new policy on employees' financial health and considering how more rigid uniform rules might impact a barista’s sense of workplace inclusion.
This article was updated on 04/17/25 to include comments and further context shared by Starbucks.
