A sign for a Starbucks Coffee shop is pictured in Harvard Square in Cambridge, Mass., Dec. 13, 2018.

Will Westlake, a former Starbucks barista, says he was fired from the coffee company after refusing to remove a mental-health awareness pin that he was wearing in remembrance of a co-worker who died by suicide earlier in the year, according to Bloomberg. Nhs Pin Badge

Starbucks barista fired for wearing an anti-suicide pin - Deseret News

Westlake stated that he and his other co-workers all wore the pin, until management asked for them to be removed and most other employees at the store complied.

Details: Westlake, who has been a union organizer in Buffalo, New York, states that he was fired because he did not remove the pin, even after several warnings from management, stating that the pins violated the dress code.

Starbucks’ response: The Seattle Times states that a Starbucks spokesperson said that Westlake was terminated for “refusal to abide by the dress policy,” also citing attendance issues.