Starbucks Workers Filed Class-Action Lawsuits Against the Company Amid Dress Code Changes
The chain's dress code updates were part of its 2025 "Back to Starbucks" campaign.
Published Sept. 18 2025, 1:18 p.m. ET
Though Starbucks has long expanded from the small Seattle-based coffee shop it once was, the company announced in April 2025 that it wasn't done expanding. According to its website, the chain announced on it would be requiring its employees to change its dress code to better highlight its renowned green apron.
The new dress code made it mandatory that employees wear minimal colors, including a solid black short and long-sleeved crewneck, collared or button-up shirts, and khaki, black or blue denim bottoms. Starbucks also shared that employees can also wear the company's branded T-shirts.
The dress code change went into effect in May 2025. Four months later, Starbucks employees filed class-action lawsuits against the company regarding their decision. Here's what to know about the case.
Starbucks workers sued the company for not reimbursing them following its dress code change.
In September 2025, Starbucks workers across three states took legal action against the company. According to CBS News, the employees claim the chain violated the law when it allegedly refused to reimburse them when they had to buy new clothes to adhere to the dress code. Multiple plaintiffs said they requested reimbursement from Starbucks to conform to the new dress code but were denied.
The employees, who are protected under a Starbucks workers' union, filed the class-action lawsuits in Colorado and Illinois, as well as complaints with California's Labor and Workforce Development Agency. The complaints indicate that the employees are planning to file a class-action lawsuit in California if the state's Labor and Workforce Development Agency chooses not to seek penalties against Starbucks.
What has Starbucks said about its workers' dress code lawsuit?
Starbucks didn't immediately comment on its employees' lawsuits. However, the company claimed employees were notified of the dress code change before it went into place and said the dress code was put into place to add more consistency across its stores and that employees were given free merchandise to prepare for their new uniforms.
"As part of this change, and to ensure our partners were prepared, partners received two shirts at no cost," the company said in a statement, referring to its workers.
Despite the chain defending its actions towards handling the dress code, the lawsuit is another example of workers disagreeing with the dress code change. Before the lawsuits were filed, more than 1,000 workers across 75 Starbucks stores protested the new policy, which was part of its "Back to Starbucks" initiative. The company began rolling out the initiative in Spring 2025, stating it aimed to create, "a welcoming coffeehouse where people gather and where we serve the finest coffee, handcrafted by our skilled baristas.”
Although the changes from the initiative resulted in legal battles, Starbucks said getting back to its roots is, "making the experience better for both customers and partners."