Starbucks Baristas: The daily grind
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My SM doesn't know how to make drinks?? (self.starbucksbaristas)
submitted by bubbeesue
Sorry this is a LIST of problems but I need y'all to tell me this isn't normal
I've been working in coffee shops since high school but this is my first Starbucks job (I'm a shift). My manager refuses to learn how to do bar and sits in the back room on his computer all day. He has never worked for Starbucks in his life but somehow got hired as the manager.
Also just has people doing random shifts (like no "open" or "close" team) so people are constantly having to close at 9:30 and open early the next day for no reason other than lazy scheduling.
Also gives himself off all holidays and won't come in to help when baristas call in sick. I had to train in like six new baristas and I had only worked for Starbucks for a month??? Also made me work when I was so sick I couldn't even talk and has done the same to sick baristas who can't afford to get a doctor's note.
When I complain about poor scheduling resulting in overtired/sick workers he says that he's here all day every day (he's not) so I shouldn't complain and then tells us to take FUCKING ZINC tablets so we don't get sick.
He was also stealing our tips to even out short money counts until we made his boss tell him it's illegal (he didn't believe us)
AND we have international students training as baristas and he has said things to me about how they need to have a stricter dress code because they're more likely dress "inappropriately" and has suggested multiple times that they are somehow dirtier than the American baristas and probably don't know what cleanliness is. He has said to me "I'm just going to tell them they have to close" when they are already hours past when they should have been sent home. Not ask. TELL.
I've never felt this unable to rely on my manager. No help on the floor. No sensible schedule. Constant idiotic mistakes. And his manager seems happy to finally have an idiot she can blame all the problems on so that she looks good because we have complained to her and nothing gets done.
I'm moving end of February and unsure if I should find another Starbucks job in my new city and hope it's better or just find something else.
I've been working in coffee shops since high school but this is my first Starbucks job (I'm a shift). My manager refuses to learn how to do bar and sits in the back room on his computer all day. He has never worked for Starbucks in his life but somehow got hired as the manager.
Also just has people doing random shifts (like no "open" or "close" team) so people are constantly having to close at 9:30 and open early the next day for no reason other than lazy scheduling.
Also gives himself off all holidays and won't come in to help when baristas call in sick. I had to train in like six new baristas and I had only worked for Starbucks for a month??? Also made me work when I was so sick I couldn't even talk and has done the same to sick baristas who can't afford to get a doctor's note.
When I complain about poor scheduling resulting in overtired/sick workers he says that he's here all day every day (he's not) so I shouldn't complain and then tells us to take FUCKING ZINC tablets so we don't get sick.
He was also stealing our tips to even out short money counts until we made his boss tell him it's illegal (he didn't believe us)
AND we have international students training as baristas and he has said things to me about how they need to have a stricter dress code because they're more likely dress "inappropriately" and has suggested multiple times that they are somehow dirtier than the American baristas and probably don't know what cleanliness is. He has said to me "I'm just going to tell them they have to close" when they are already hours past when they should have been sent home. Not ask. TELL.
I've never felt this unable to rely on my manager. No help on the floor. No sensible schedule. Constant idiotic mistakes. And his manager seems happy to finally have an idiot she can blame all the problems on so that she looks good because we have complained to her and nothing gets done.
I'm moving end of February and unsure if I should find another Starbucks job in my new city and hope it's better or just find something else.
_Pulltab_ 15 points 3y ago
100% not normal. Call the PRC and also run away as fast as you can. That guy is an asshat.
I would urge you to consider a different store if you still have it in you. For comparison:
My manager has worked 10+ years, starting out as a barista and working her way up through multiple stores. She works the floor with us regularly and comes in to do clean plays sometimes too. She works hard to schedule people based on their wants/needs and will help us find a way to make things work, even if the schedule is already posted. If someone says they hate being scheduled at other stores, she does her best to honor that (although she’ll as us If we’d rather be short hours or work another store). She would never purposefully schedule someone to clopen because she knows first hand how much it sucks.
The doctor’s note for being sick is illegal in many states and certainly not in line with SB policy. He shouldn’t be doing that.
I would urge you to consider a different store if you still have it in you. For comparison:
My manager has worked 10+ years, starting out as a barista and working her way up through multiple stores. She works the floor with us regularly and comes in to do clean plays sometimes too. She works hard to schedule people based on their wants/needs and will help us find a way to make things work, even if the schedule is already posted. If someone says they hate being scheduled at other stores, she does her best to honor that (although she’ll as us If we’d rather be short hours or work another store). She would never purposefully schedule someone to clopen because she knows first hand how much it sucks.
The doctor’s note for being sick is illegal in many states and certainly not in line with SB policy. He shouldn’t be doing that.
vellamour 1 points 3y ago
Your manager sounds like my manager. :)
colonade17 9 points 3y ago
Call your DM. Also Call PRC. These things are not normal and not ok. Document that stuff and send it to your DM.
Depending on the volume of business your store has it's normal for about 60-80% of your SMs time to be off the floor administrative functions like creating schedules, processing payroll, etc. But he should still spend some time on the floor, typically during peak.
Having people close and then open is just terrible lazy scheduling that will destroy morale. That kind of thing should only ever be done as a last resort, and is a sign of not hiring people with the availability to match the store's needs.
My DM told SMs in my district that they had to work 4 of 6 of the holidays (thanksgiving, black friday, xmas eve, xmas, NYE, NYD). It's pretty much an industry standard that managers work holidays.
Making people work while sick, or forcing them to find coverage when sick is a violation of both health code and company policy.
I've seen SMs in my district get fired for less serious offenses.
Depending on the volume of business your store has it's normal for about 60-80% of your SMs time to be off the floor administrative functions like creating schedules, processing payroll, etc. But he should still spend some time on the floor, typically during peak.
Having people close and then open is just terrible lazy scheduling that will destroy morale. That kind of thing should only ever be done as a last resort, and is a sign of not hiring people with the availability to match the store's needs.
My DM told SMs in my district that they had to work 4 of 6 of the holidays (thanksgiving, black friday, xmas eve, xmas, NYE, NYD). It's pretty much an industry standard that managers work holidays.
Making people work while sick, or forcing them to find coverage when sick is a violation of both health code and company policy.
I've seen SMs in my district get fired for less serious offenses.
Peebles46 3 points 3y ago
Please call PRC and talk to your DM. Also transfer.
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