Abercrombie gets sued Options

[BlackCelicaGT94]

Ambercrombie & Fitch employees sue company

09:20 AM PST on Friday, February 11, 2005


By CHRIS INGALLS / KING 5 News





KING


SEATTLE - Employees of clothing retailer Abercrombie and Fitch are suing the company, claiming a strict dress code is draining their bank accounts.


This lawsuit targets a policy that some say is not too uncommon in the retail clothing business: You sell the clothes, you wear the clothes, and you’re forced to buy the clothes.


A former store manager of the Bellingham store said the company was ruthless when it came to employees who didn’t dress the part.


"We were not supposed to schedule people who didn't wear ‘the look,’ said Lindsey King, former Abercrombie and Fitch manager. “So if you didn't own the looks or wear it to work, you wouldn't get scheduled much."


"The look" is Abercrombie and Fitch's term for people wearing - what else - its line of clothes. And employees like King claim a company policy forced them to put part of their paycheck's right back in Abercrombie's cash register.


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“We had to wear a certain look every season and we were required to purchase the look for that seaon which changed every three months," said King.


A King County judge on Thursday set an October trial date in a lawsuit brought by employees, who say forcing them to buy Abercrombie clothes violates Washington law.


The suit is now class action, meaning all Abercrombie employees within the the past few years may be able to join.


“We're guesstimating that class is probably in excess of 4,500 people," said Stephen Conner, plaintiff’s lawyer.


Abercrombie's "look" has already had costly legal consequences. The company settled an employee race discrimination case in california for $40 million. It pulled catalogs with nude models, and it's already settled suits similar to the one in King County in other states. A similar case in California, Ambercrombie settled with employees for more than $2 million.


“I'd like to see it stop happening," said King.


Abercrombie’s attorney wouldn’t comment after Thursday’s court hearing, but the company has said before that it doesn’t have such a police and that employees are not forced to buy clothes and do get a up to a half off discount on clothes.






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Oh please - people know before working there you gotta rock the abercrombie look! what a lame lawsuit. Any clothes retailer you work for wants you to wear their clothes or atleast have that look.

[MK153]

I agree with you on the most part... with the exception that AF recently upped their prices... 2 folds. I could get a pair of jeans from their for $65 last year... now the starting price is $185 for a good style jean... thats a bit crazy seeing as they dont pay their employees a premium salary.

[Supersprynt]

Surprised it took that long, its bullsh!t what AF does.

[shid]

Nat I couldn't agree with you LESS.

It's wrong, and if employees are required to wear a look that changes every 3 months, the clothes better be HUGELY discounted.

This post has been edited by shid: Feb 11, 2005 - 1:38 PM

[BlackSTX]

If the employees don't like it they SHOULD FIND ANOTHER JOB. How can you sue someone in good conscious for a choice you willingly made, knowing up front that it was required to be an employee there? EVERY mall clothing store requires their employees to wear their clothes!

[shid]

No, thats not true. They don't.

Furthermore, those that due are required to massively subsidize- federal laws are in place to prevent this.

Also, have you BEEN in Aberccombie & Fitch lately? There crap is EXPENSIVE; and their employees get paid minimum. Basically, what they're saying is they work for 2 weeks every 3 months, just to pay off their uniforms.

[orvillescelica]

Thats true, other clothing retailers only require you to have the look and style of the clothes they are selling at most. They do not require you to have thier clothes.

I think this is a great lawsuit. I hope they go all the way with it and not just settle.

[Digndoug]

Its BS but i understand, it makes sence on a retail pint. **** i was offerd a job three times, but by people i knoew who had worked there said they get less then 7 bucks and u have to ware there stuff. I asked the manager and she said yes. So... I didnt work there.. Problem solved.

You dont wanna pay u dont work there.. Simple enough.

[dstrbcelica]

i think it's b.s. my best friend used to work for AF. 3 AF articles of clothing must be visible at all times while working. so basically, $200 worth of clothing x amount of days outta the week.

-dstrb

[Sh0gunkid8721]

I used to work there...i totally feel their pain and is a load of garbage.

[celicarocker]

If the employees don't like it they SHOULD FIND ANOTHER JOB.  How can you sue someone in good conscious for a choice you willingly made, knowing up front that it was required to be an employee there?  EVERY mall clothing store requires their employees to wear their clothes!
[right][snapback]244933[/snapback][/right]

untrue... my friend works for aeropostale in a mall, and he just has to wear clothes that look like their clothes... he wears alot of stuff from guess and old navy to work, it just cant have another brand logo on it...

[Sh0gunkid8721]

considering how expensive their clothes are, their discounts arent all that great.

[playr158]

A&E, a&F, limited, britches, structure ALL required their employees
even wet seal to wear their clothing so they ADVERTISE for their store

suck it up deal with it you chose to work there
if you can't afford it don't shop there stop bitching

[SinisterWhisper]

unless you want their clothes but cant afford them whats the point in even bothering to work there?

[shid]

Some of you don't seem to get the point.

The point is, the policy is ILLEGAL. It is ILLEGAL to pay employees, but require them to give aa LARGE portion of their wages back to the company for uniforms, or room and board. Room and board is limited to 35% I believe, while uniforms are less than 5%.

Those of you telling them to suck it up, how would you like to work at a place, but not be paid?

Don't be so friggin stupid. That is all.

[reborn0323]

Surprised it took that long, its bullsh!t what AF does.
[right][snapback]244868[/snapback][/right]

it's not just AF - ae, aero, etc. - they all do it