Starbucks have changed course from its apolitical stance against its employees (baristas) to wear any politically motivated or suggestive outfit during work, as it is now allowing fellow workers to wear T-shirts or pins, etc in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
The company’s track record stands in support of the movement in official platforms during the course of last month, but a memo that has circulated the media recently has shown the company wouldn’t allow employees to openly advocate for the cause while at work, serving customers.
That has now changed on Friday, as the new policy would allow any workers to carry what they want to convey. Not only that, the employees will be provided with a shirt that will officially have the Black Lives Matter on them:
“This movement is a catalyst for change, and right now, it’s telling us a lot of things need to be addressed so we can make space to heal,” Starbucks said in a publicly shared letter to employees.
Starbucks said it’s “critical to support the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement as its founders intended and will continue to work closely with community leaders, civil rights leaders, organizations, and our partners to understand the role that Starbucks can play, and to show up in a positive way for our communities.
” In an earlier memo, Starbucks said it won’t allow employees to wear “Black Lives Matter” material because “there are agitators who misconstrue the fundamental principles of the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement — and in certain circumstances, intentionally repurpose them to amplify divisiveness.
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Starbucks have in the past openly pushed in favour of LGBTQ rights for Pride Month: The company hands out those items to baristas.
A company spokesperson have tried to explain the rather disparate approach the company was taking on the two socially debatable conceptions and issues as the past actions were inteded “to create a safe and welcoming” environment.
The company has a complicated history with racial bias. In 2018 it temporarily closed down 8,000 company-owned cafes and ordered its 175,000 employees to learn and train about racism after a white Starbucks employee called the police on two black customers.
Starbucks Chairman Howard Schultz said the incident was “reprehensible” in full-page newspaper ads.
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