Stop & Shop Supermarket Co. is currently embroiled in a proposed class action lawsuit. Filed by a former employee, the lawsuit alleges that the retail giant failed to properly compensate its workers for uniform maintenance, leading to wage violations under New York Labor Law. The case, initially lodged in the New York County Supreme Court, has now been moved to the Southern District Court.
The core of the lawsuit revolves around Stop & Shop’s uniform policy. According to court documents, employees were mandated to wear company-branded attire – specifically, a shirt, apron, and hat bearing the Stop & Shop logo – during their shifts. These uniforms, the lawsuit states, were provided “for the express benefit of” Stop & Shop and were a mandatory condition of employment, requiring employees to keep them clean and presentable.
However, Stop & Shop allegedly did not offer uniform laundering services, nor did it provide any form of compensation or reimbursement to employees for the costs associated with cleaning and maintaining these required Stop And Shop Uniforms. The plaintiff, who worked at Stop & Shop from May 2014 to January 2020, claims that as an hourly employee earning near minimum wage, the financial burden of uniform upkeep effectively reduced her earnings, in some instances pushing her below the legally mandated minimum wage.
The lawsuit argues that Stop & Shop’s policies regarding uniform maintenance are in direct violation of the New York Labor Law, as they have consistently deprived employees of their rightful wages throughout the plaintiff’s employment and potentially beyond.
This class action seeks to represent all past and present Stop & Shop employees in New York who, since November 9, 2014, were required to wear stop and shop uniforms as a condition of their employment and did not receive laundering services, uniform maintenance pay, or reimbursement for these expenses.
The case highlights the often-overlooked financial responsibilities placed on employees regarding workplace attire and the legal obligations of employers to ensure fair wage practices, even when stop and shop uniforms are a requirement.
