Wells Fargo Workers Tell Judge They Paid Hundreds to Meet ‘Strict Dress Code’

Employees of the bank Wells Fargo say they were forced to spend hundreds of dollars a year on clothes and dry cleaning because of their employer’s “strict” dress code, according to a class action lawsuit.

On Monday, Wells Fargo employees filed a motion in California federal court asking to have five groups of workers certified for a class action, claiming as many as 6,000 people were harmed by the same company policy enforced in California. 

Former personal banker and named plaintiff Caudley S. originally sued the bank in December 2019, according to Law360.

He alleged the bank violated California labor laws by routinely depriving him and other workers of adequate meal and rest breaks, and not giving some workers paper wage statements. 

Monday’s motion asked a judge to certify five Classes.

One Class is for workers who allege in the motion they spent “hundreds of dollars each year on work outfits and on dry cleaning” to meet the bank’s dress code. 

The proposed Personal Appearance Policy Class would be asking a judge to rule on whether Wells Fargo should be liable for paying its employees work clothes and dry cleaning when it requires a restrictive dress code.

The other proposed Classes include a Class who were paid by direct deposits and didn’t get paper pay stubs, hourly non-exempt employees who worked at the branches, and those who weren’t able to log their breaks when they were short or interrupted.

The workers allege the timekeeping system only allowed them to log if their break was skipped entirely, not if it was cut short. The Class would be asking a judge to decide whether that was legal, and whether they should be compensated.

Caudley urged the court to certify the Class, saying the action served the interests of justice, especially for those still working under the policy.

“The claims of the absent class members are too small to be prosecuted individually, and class members may be reluctant to prosecute claims individually in any case because of fear of retaliation from their employer,” the brief said.

Over the years Wells Fargo has faced a number of class action lawsuits and allegations from workers and customers.

In February, the bank agreed to pay $2 million to end claims it did not properly pay its home mortgage consultants and other employees. 

Earlier this month, a man who was in his 70s when he signed up for a new Wells Fargo checking account sued the bank for age discrimination, saying he was forced to pay a monthly account fee a younger man wouldn’t have to pay.

In June 2020, a $20 million settlement was reached in a class action lawsuit alleging the bank systematically denied those with “Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals” status for various loans, including student and car loans. 

Do you think employers should have to pay for their workers’ clothes if the dress code is strict? Let us know in the comments.

The plaintiffs are represented by Shaun Setareh, Thomas Segal, and Farrah Grant of Setareh Law Group.

The Wells Fargo California Employees Class Action Lawsuit is Caudley S., et al. v. Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, Case No. 2:20-cv-00211, in United States District Court for the Central District of California. 

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