A 56-year-old Maine woman is suing Starbucks for discrimination, claiming her several applications to work as a barista were turned down due to her age. The plaintiff is asking for over $300,000 from the coffee giant. Unless a settlement is reached, the case will go to court in February.
According to the woman's lawyer, the manager of the store who refused to hire her lied about why she wasn't hired and failed to hire any new employee over 30 during the period the plaintiff applied. For their own part, Starbucks claims that she wasn't hired for other reasons, including her unpleasant behavior and error-filled application.
My guess would be that this woman was not hired simply because she isn't a good candidate (after all, Starbucks baristas are usually so pleasant!), and the lawsuit has no basis. I'm guessing the vast majority of starbucks applicants are under 30, which could probably help explain why that particular store only hired from that demographic.
But what do you think? Is Starbucks ageist? Has anyone out there had a bad hiring experience with Starbucks?