The Seattle based coffee chain is reviewing its rule against tattoos and is expected to announce a new dress code in the next few weeks, according to Starbucks spokesman, Zack Hutson.
The USA Today reports that the famous coffee retailer is looking for ways to create a better work environment with their partners. The new dress code will be implemented first in the U.S. and will soon expand to the global stores as deemed appropriate by the market.
A petition on Coworker.org created by Kristie Williams, a Starbucks barista in Atlanta, pushes for the coffee company to lift its ban on tattoos. The petition has already gained 21,000 signatures, 12,000 of them from Starbucks employees. It ha generated a lot of social media buzz, finally calling the attention of the company.
In July, a barista in Michigan caused a stir online when her manager asked her to remove a small tattoo on her thumb. Hutson, however, said that they started looking into the issue in May.
Rochelle Rabold, a barista in Texas, said that while it's great to work for the coffee chain, it'll be even better if she no longer has to hide her tattoos. She has been working at Starbucks for years. She lamented that she needs to wear long-sleeve shirts just to hide her tattoos, including colorful flowers on her arm.
Another barista, Sara Frandsen, quit last October after working at the coffee retailer for seven months. She moved to a mom-and-pop coffee and ice cream shop that lets employees show piercings and tattoos. Frandsen said it's expected of baristas to look hip and young.
Starbucks require their 300,000 workers worldwide, 120,000 of them in the U.S., to wear black or khaki trousers with black or white collared or turtleneck shirts.
The coffee chain is regarded as one of the most tech-savvy retailers, being on the forefront of supporting the Millennial generation. The company has taken strong liberal stance on issues such as gay marriage and gun ban.
