Lawsuit Against Chipotle Over Illegal Uniform Policy
Last Updated on January 11, 2022
Investigation Complete
Attorneys working with ClassAction.org have finished their investigation into this matter.
Check back for any potential updates and take a look at our open investigations here. The information on this page is for reference only.
At A Glance
- This Alert Affects
- Chipotle workers who had to pay for their uniforms.
- What's Going On?
- Attorneys are investigating whether Chipotle is breaking the law by making its employees pay for their uniforms. In some states, including California, it is illegal for employers to deduct the cost of uniforms from their workers' paychecks.
- Chipotle Made Me Pay for My Uniform. What Now?
- Get in touch with us today by filling out the form on this page. If you had to pay for your uniform, you may be able to help get a class action lawsuit started against the company.
- What Happens When I Fill Out the Form?
- After contacting us, the attorneys looking into Chipotle may reach out to you via phone or e-mail for more information. Before they can sue Chipotle, they need to speak with current and former employees of the restaurant to learn more about the company's uniform policy.
- What Can I Get From a Class Action?
- If the attorneys can speak with Chipotle workers and get a class action lawsuit filed, employees may be able to get their money back for the cost of their uniforms.
Update: A flurry of social media response has strongly suggested that the intel we received on this investigation was not as solid as we thought. Thank you to everyone who commented on our Facebook page and sent in forms letting us know that Chipotle is not charging their workers for uniforms. Anyone who wants to corroborate our initial information can feel free to get in touch with us.
If you worked for Chipotle and had to pay for your uniform, you could help get a class action lawsuit started against the company.
What’s Going On?
Attorneys are investigating whether Chipotle is illegally deducting uniform costs from employees’ paychecks. Although federal law says that employers can make their workers pay for uniforms as long as they still earn the minimum wage, a handful of other states have stricter laws.
What Can I Get From a Class Action?
If a class action lawsuit is filed, Chipotle employees may be able to get their money back for the cost of their uniforms.
So, My Employer Can’t Make Me Pay for My Uniform?
It depends on the type of uniform you wear and the state you live in.
For instance, in California and Colorado, employers must pay for uniforms that have a distinctive design, such as a logo, or color. Alaska has a similar law, but doesn’t require employers to pay for uniforms that could be considered normal apparel, such as black pants and a red shirt.
Unfortunately, there’s no federal law that says your employer can’t make you pay for your uniform. It is illegal, however, if the cost of your uniform is deducted and you don’t earn the minimum wage because of this deduction. So, if you’re only making the minimum wage in your state, and the cost of your uniform is deducted, your employer may be breaking the law.
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