I feel forced as well🙃 I'm sorry you don't feel safe. I wish our cat pay could be extended.

I've been considering taking personal time, but I also don't want to have no pay if I do get sick.

I know and they don’t even have an idea how to safely reopen stores, it’s a whole mess right now.

One of my partners went to get tested and her results came back positive. I’m worried because my fellow partners who haven’t gotten tested may be positive and don’t even know. Heck I might be positive! I just asked to be scheduled to get tested. I’m scared and idk why they couldn’t extend CAT pay until June or give us furloughed lay offs so we could get unemployment benefits and jobs when we get back. I mean ULTA did it so why can’t Starbucks.

Perhaps consider reduced scheduled hours? From what I understand, if you work less hours than your averaged hours, it will be made up for the next month. Granted it doesn’t stop concerns though

It's a different kind of terror for us service workers. Customers behaved unsanitarily BEFORE all this, I'm terrified of being around them again. I've had customers let their toddlers put their mouths on my counter and cough all over it, just pretending it didn't happen. These people don't give a shit about us and only ever saw us as robots. I'm supposed to go back to work expecting they'll act any different now?

You know if you and all your coworkers refused to work they probably wouldn't be able to reopen the store...

Starbucks has approved a one month leave of absence for those of us that do not feel safe going back to work on the timeline that corporate has set out to achieve. It is not paid and that sucks but if you have any vacation time you can utilize that if you decide to take the leave(not sure about sick time). This is absolutely an option they gave all partners when communicating to store managers. If your manager sucks and didn’t communicate that for whatever reason, I’m sorry, they should be doing better. If you do not have vacation time/don’t want to use it, that sucks. The leave of absence is an option for everyone. I would call partner resources ASAP if your manager in store is not being receptive. Good luck.

Read the partner hub. Everyone has personal situations you have to talk to your manager about. My store has shortened hours 6-6 and no intentions of opening the cafe and no more than 7 people on at a time. If you are high risk or live with high risk cat pay is extended. Use sick time first then apply for the 30day leave and use vaca. Watch the conference calls with rosanne and kevin.... no one is in a rush plus you still get average hours even if you are working alot and you get service pay

I've been working through the pandemic, and I can definitely relate to the panic of going back; at first I was very uneasy about the risk of being exposed. We're required to wear masks now and monitor our temperatures before we start working now; I've been protecting myself additionally by cleaning/sanitizing my work stations, cell phone, car, keys, anything i take into the building and washing my hands frequently. If you talk with and express concern to your manager, I'm sure they would assign you lower exposure positions (i.e. not working the window). Hang in there <3 P.S. tips have been insanely amazing and a lot of customers are being super cautious, too!

I'm so so nervous about going back. Our state government just announced shut down extended til may 30th (I'm in IL, Chicago area). I really don't want to go back in. I took catastrophe pay because I think not getting possibly exposed to the virus is more important than Karens having their triple venti 10 pump almond milk white mochas (WITH WHIP)

There's been no drastic improvement in the situation here and I'm scared about a second wave. I really don't want to take an unpaid LoA because who can survive that long without pay considering what a PT barista is paid. I don't have pto (not here long enough) ... I think Starbucks rushing to open stores by may 4th is a mistake.

Does anyone else feel like they're in the same boat? Like I wish Starbucks would just extend cat. pay benefits while the state and city advise stay in shelter shutdown should continue. I know this company has made plenty of profits. I'm sorry but even with their new "procedures" in place I'm not at all comfortable going back especially if they let customers walk into the store again.

Edit: I'm well aware that even large corporations do not have unlimited money. What I am upset about is them telling scared, uncomfortable people that they have to either return to work or accept unpaid leave. Hell I would take reduced pay over going back to work at this time. It's just such a weird situation and there are so many unknowns. Who knows if it will get WORSE once I'm back at work being exposed and definitely unable to stay 6ft apart from other coworkers due to tight spaces

I was supposed to return Monday but when I wasn’t on the schedule I was told there’s like no hours even though they knew I was coming back 😑

I do feel forced. I can't afford to take the 30 days non pay off. I'm nervous because I have asthma, and dont want to risk it. I had also only worked at my store for three months, and finally had most of the drinks down. I know once I go back they're basically going to have to train me all over on hot bar and I dont want to be a burden when my store is already extremely busy. I'm just full of stress and anxiety right now.

It's gonna be different going back but I'm ready we open my store may 8th