Episode 357: Starbucks Bathroom Policy Once Again Changing With the Times

The Working Lunch

The portable benefits issue is back in the news as DoorDash strikes another agreement - this time with the state of Georgia - to pilot a portable benefits program for its drivers. There is growing consensus within liberal and conservative circles that portable benefits regumes are here to stay and a plausible solution for millions of gig economy workers without traditional benefits. We’ll discuss where the issue is going and whether the restaurant industry will meaningfully engage. Starbucks and their public bathroom policy is back in the news as they reverse their policy implemented by Howard Schultz in response to the PR debacle in a Philadelphia restaurant in 2018. Is Starbucks really protecting their employees or bending to the political winds? We would argue that they’re doing both. We’ll talk about those issues and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.