Class Action Lawsuit launched against Starbucks Canada

Interview Summary

Store managers working for Starbucks Canada are launching a class-action lawsuit against the popular coffee chain. They claim the coffee company refused to provide them with overtime pay, despite the extra hours they put in before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Alex Lucifero, an Ottawa employment lawyer and partner at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP, spoke to CTV News about the $50 million lawsuit that alleges that Starbucks policy incorrectly addresses the role that many managers play within the company, and how overtime pay works for employees in Ontario.

Interview Notes

• Does this class action lawsuit have any merit?
• Were these Starbucks managers performing manager duties during these overtime hours?
• Does it matter that managers already make more than baristas?
• Are managers expected to pitch in and help when understaffed or additional aid is required? What if this becomes a regular change in duties by my employer?

Starbucks employees have basic employment rights like any other non-unionized worker in Canada, including a right to overtime pay when applicable, and the right to a severance package when they lose their job.

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