Starbucks Baristas: The daily grind
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Discussed the minimum wage increase with a friend against it. Guess what kind of job they have never had. (self.starbucksbaristas)
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NervosaNervous 115 points 2y ago
Shocker. Someone who has never had to scrape by on minimum wage doesn’t support increasing minimum wage 🙄 The world would be a much better place if everyone was forced to work for minimum wage for at least a year.
BasuraFujira 44 points 2y ago
I agree. They should make it a high school requirement to work in retail/food/hospitality for at least 6 months in order to graduate. Then people would be so much more respectful. If some high schools have some kind of volunteer work or community service requirement, they can add this.
NervosaNervous 20 points 2y ago
We have a high schooler that works at my store and they have NC/NS for their shifts this week. And when they’re here they don’t really do anything they’re asked. It’s incredibly frustrating. They either don’t know how much that fucks over our store, or worse, they don’t give a shit because they’re too young and their parents still pay for everything.
kayleeispunk 10 points 2y ago
Sometimes parents force their kids to work, which is another reason why they fuck off at work and don’t do shit. I managed an Einstein’s a few years back and this kid was awful and rude. Come to find out his parents have money, but were forcing him to work.
Jadenvicious1 2 points 2y ago
Einsteins bagels?
BasuraFujira 4 points 2y ago
Ugh, that sucks. Also, how many times has that person NC/NS? Cuz I believe 3 of those is automatic termination.
NervosaNervous 3 points 2y ago
Idk for sure. I think more than 3 times.
juiceyluicy 13 points 2y ago
Agreed but on the flip side. I live in an area where a lot of upper middle class families make their teenagers get jobs to teach them responsibility (and not bc the teenagers actually need the job or money) so I’ve spent a good 5.5 years of having minimum wage jobs here and working with teenagers who have no respect for their workplace or coworkers and even sometimes the customers; it’s really frustrating to work with people like that.
NervosaNervous 5 points 2y ago
Oh I get that. We have a high schooler that works in our store and they have NC/NS for every one their shifts this week. They went on a vacation last minute. They didn’t bother to find coverage. They didn’t bother to tell our SM they weren’t going to be here. And they didn’t call in. It’s so frustrating.
Baristajf 3 points 2y ago
But there’s always that one who will do anything for the team... but it’s ONLY ever one...
juiceyluicy 4 points 2y ago
I haven’t had one at Starbucks, but a past job of mine at a different chain of coffee stores almost ALL of us were 16 year olds and we worked our asses off for awhile until different/more high schoolers got hired and they had horrible work ethic.
Baristajf 3 points 2y ago
I had a kid that was the best... super rich, had an au pair for the majority of her life, but damn she came in if I asked and worked her ass off! Now she’s an English teacher in Spain! Loved that kid!
katyg333 2 points 2y ago
Yeah it's awful working with people who don't care. When I was a senior in highschool I got a job at our local country club. I made more than minimum wage as a waitress but I think the working conditions were the same if not worse than a regular fast food job. There were several other highschoolers there whose very well off parents made them get a job but they still gave them money whenever they wanted it or bought them a new truck when they wrecked theirs on someone's mailbox. It was really annoying bcs only 2 of us actually needed the money or cared about our job.
[deleted] [OP] 2 points 2y ago
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rio8envy7 -5 points 2y ago
Unfortunately you cant force anyone to do that.
NervosaNervous 5 points 2y ago
Which is sad.
rio8envy7 -6 points 2y ago
It’s not even a feasible idea. No offense I’m not knocking the idea I’m just saying there isn’t a way to actually enforce that. Even then there will always be people who will be against minimum wage.
Magseroni 14 points 2y ago
I heard on NPR that if everyone in the coffee chain including coffee farmers, bean roasters, truck drivers, and baristas were paid livable wages, a single latte would cost $10. Just to put this into perspective, a woman driving a sleek black Mercedes complained to me yesterday about having to pay $5.30 for a caramel macchiato that used to be $5.18. I know they probably are just oblivious or don’t know this, but it’s pretty frustrating when they complain to me about prices I can’t control, especially when they are only paying half of the actual cost.
dstnygn 4 points 2y ago
Is that to keep the same profit or breakeven or what? Cos there’s a big spectrum for how they could have come up with that number. if its to keep the same profit, here’s a hint: they dont need to! ✨
i doubt it would be to breakeven, or else they’d likely be in a loss right now.
i doubt it would be to breakeven, or else they’d likely be in a loss right now.
iStealSharpies 2 points 2y ago
THIS
Magseroni 1 points 2y ago
Omg I love your Reddit name. Don’t we all steal each other’s sharpies at Starbucks. 😉
iStealSharpies 2 points 2y ago
Haha yes we do 🤣
Magseroni 1 points 2y ago
No I’m pretty sure it’s to breakeven and reduce profits slightly. Some economic expert did the formulas. It might even be more during the pandemic because isn’t everything more expensive now? I heard this a couple years ago when the economy was in decent shape.
dstnygn 1 points 2y ago
That doesn’t really make mathematic sense. I’m an economics major, wouldn’t say expert but I do do this stuff, and it just doesn’t sense that a breakeven profit would only be about double the cost for a latte (cos our lattes are already around $5...)
Magseroni 1 points 2y ago
I assume they are talking about how Starbucks is not paying people in other countries at the same as they are in the US. They pride themselves at paying maybe $2-$3 above minimum wage, but that varies from country to country. For example, in Central America, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, other coffee belt regions, etc. where they grow coffee, the minimum wage might be $2-$3 an hour so they would be currently paying them $4-$6 an hour and they would still be able to say they offer above average pay to the farmers. That kind of thing would mean there will be more ground to make up for in coffee price if we are including farmers, roasters, baristas, truck drivers when we say everyone gets livable wages which would beat least $20 per hour or so. They can have cheap $5 lattes and caramel macchiatos today most likely because they don’t always pay at the same rate. I know these other countries don’t have the same currency system, but that might be the American equivalent to what they get paid. I don’t know more than that. I’m not an economic expert. I’m just trusting what the economic expert said. And to be fair, there are tons of companies that do the same thing if this is indeed what Starbucks does. And remember these are not my words, this is just something I heard.
robertbearin 11 points 2y ago
people that’ve never worked minimum wage shouldnt even get a pass for lacking the critical thinking and empathy to realize $7.25/hr is a slave wage. all it takes is a cursory glance at wealth inequality since 1981 when reagan came and corporatized america to see that this country currently doesn’t give a fuck about its working class
Gameb0i6 9 points 2y ago
I already make $20/hr and it’s still not a liveable wage.
dstnygn 1 points 2y ago
that depends on where you live though. $20 is more than livable where I am. that’s what my husband makes, and we live in a high cost city for my state, which is still low compared to most major cities in the US.
drinkliquidclocks 9 points 2y ago
I wouldn't be friends with someone who doesn't believe in human rights, personally. 🤢
roxman68 9 points 2y ago
I think it’s time for at least a $20 minimum wage. I’m open to more
[deleted] [OP] -14 points 2y ago
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[deleted] [OP] 1 points 2y ago
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randommuses 3 points 2y ago
Sitting on a small stock of Herbalife is not the same as being employed.
[deleted] [OP] -6 points 2y ago
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[deleted] [OP] 1 points 2y ago
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Magseroni 5 points 2y ago
My mom forced me to get this job when I was in high school and said I have to work it through college even though we live in an upper middle class neighborhood and I don’t technically need the job per say. This was to learn the value of hard work and respect for those in minimum wage jobs. She had to work minimum wage jobs to pay her way through college and it’s amazing that she’s in such a good place today because of that hard work. Her family was literally dirt poor. I support raising the minimum wage for people going through similar situations to what my mom went through. And yeah I know a lot of people say their parents made them get a job to learn respect for minimum wagers, but if this were true like it were for me, their parents would have taught them it’s not ok to ask people to cover a shift 9 hours before a shift.
Dzfranken 1 points 2y ago
Minimum wage jobs are not designed to keep you on your feet. They are designed to help you learn skills in get you a better job. You can either work at the job long enough to receive enough raises that helps balance or you can get good at your job and get a promotion to make more money. Either way minimum wage should never be $15
Outrageous-Insect836 1 points 2y ago
Some of my peer partners may not like to hear this. But, IMO Minimum wage jobs are meant as entry level into the working world. A stepping stone. A place to start. An incentive to work hard, learn, grow, gain responsibility and MOVE UP. Making room for more entry level people. Somewhere along the line people began to expect that minimum wage jobs were supposed to provide an income capable of buying a house, a fancy car, having 4 kids, etc. Please don’t attack me. I realize that there are exceptions and special cases.
InfaredRidingHood 2 points 2y ago
Minimum wage as a concept when it was introduced through legislation was introduced to be a wage you could live off of.
Double_Accident4705 1 points 2y ago
Keep supporting a minimum wage increase and watch all of your jobs turn into robots doing the same job. Employers won’t be able to afford it. People think all they have to pay is the pay increase. False, they don’t care what you’re paid. They’d pay you $100 an hour if it weren’t for the taxes. It’s all about taxes. So next time you get pissy at your employer about how little you’re paid.. maybe try getting pissed about the government officials you voted for. They control everything you do and have.
InfaredRidingHood 2 points 2y ago
The coffee bots will be rolled out as soon as they're ready, me getting paid $15 an hour or $3 an hour won't stop them, the bots will always be cheaper.
Double_Accident4705 1 points 2y ago
😔
ssviolet 1 points 2y ago
of course
chiile-anyways_uhm 1 points 2y ago
Ok I’m my opinion, I don’t think minimum wage should increase. You’ll make more money and even if you stay in the same tax bracket, you’ll get even more money taken in taxes. You’ll end up not really making much more money that you had before. But since companies have to pay their workers more, they’ll start making cuts in employment so they aren’t losing more money. So employment rates will go down and people will still be struggling. I think rent/ the cost of living needs to go down because that is where the bulk of people’s money goes. The cost of living just keeps substantially increasing and minimum wage has pretty much not changed. Even if/when minim wage goes up, the cost of living will just keep skyrocketing and the endless cycle will continue. :)
cowbeaux 4 points 2y ago
You have a point there. I think the entire situation is pretty nuanced and needs to be considered from every angle.
Kalhm 4 points 2y ago
So what I’m hearing is that, you don’t think people should afford to live and make as much as a gallon of milk costs? But to fix that, you think the cost of living should go down, saying more people should be underpaid for the cost of labor. Also, you literally cannot live on $9.45/7.25 (depending where u live) an hour. You cannot afford a house on that wage, you cannot afford all your bills AND STILL have money left over on that wage, you cannot live on the minimum wage now. People with your mindset frustrate me on another level. I’m not judging you as a person, but I think you need to look at it from the other end and truly understand why what your saying is not right
chiile-anyways_uhm 2 points 2y ago
Yeah I get it I live on minimum wage. I make 10/hr at Starbucks and only get 4 goddamn hrs a shift. I don’t make enough to pay my rent let alone all my other bills. But at the same time... my rent is $750 a month for a studio apartment. A TINY LITTLE BOX APARTMENT FOR $750. If my cost of living were lower, it would be much easier to pay for everything!! When minimum wage goes up, employers cut jobs to balance the money out. Since they have to pay people more, they make sure there are less people to pay. More unemployment means more people not being able to live and supply for themselves. If living costs go down, people get to keep their jobs, and will have more money to distribute to other bills or to save! I do understand what I’m saying and I really don’t understand y people like you think “that kind of mindset” is so bad. Would it be great is everyone is making at least $15/hr. Yeah of course. But that isn’t the reality. Big business will cut hrs/jobs, and small businesses may not be able to pay their employees that much and will either be understaffed or have to shut down. So no, I don’t think that’s the best solution.
Kalhm 2 points 2y ago
Half these corporations make close to BILLIONS. They won’t fire people, they don’t wanna lose money yeah, but less people means less productivity. Also, YOUR small box apartments rent SHOULD NOT BE $750. Why are you letting capitalism win? Steal more of these corporations fucking money. Also don’t forget, IF YOU LOWER THE COST OF LIVING YOU ARE ALSO LOWERING THE PAY OF THE COST OF LABOR. Either way, you don’t win, so let corporations lose more than you could.
chiile-anyways_uhm 1 points 2y ago
All I’m saying is that just increasing the minimum wage alone isn’t going to solve anything. Especially in the long term.
chiile-anyways_uhm 1 points 2y ago
If you think jobs won’t get cut when you increase minimum wage then you are kidding yourself. And again, you won’t be seeing much of that wage increase considering that you’ll get more out in taxes, and rent and stuff will go up. Housing prices increase at a much faster rate than income so that $15 may be nice for a little while, but then it’ll be like nothing changed.
WhileGloomy -5 points 2y ago
Minimum wage workers won't even advocate to stop customers from assaulting and stabbing them. lol
laspn -20 points 2y ago
Ehh I'm against it too. Like yeah I and my friends benefit because it but the economy would be in shambles
Good_Viibes 9 points 2y ago
Because stimulating the economy/reducing government spending and low SES reliance on safety net programs like SNAP/reducing economic inequality/raising people out of poverty would turn the economy into “shambles” right? Ok sis
laspn -6 points 2y ago
More so talking about the fact that small businesses would have to pay their employees 1.5 times the amount that they do now. It's bad for the small businesses and the employees in the long run because the business might start to lay people off. As if covid hasn't already been detrimental to the economy. Also it's not sis, brother
Good_Viibes 9 points 2y ago
Lol how are you gonna take an obtusely nuanced view of minimum wage to dismiss the real gravity of the implications that a broadly applying minimum wage would have on society
But go off sis keep giving us nothing
But go off sis keep giving us nothing
FimbrethilTheEntwife 7 points 2y ago
If a business can't afford to pay their employees a living wage, they don't deserve to be in business.
laspn -2 points 2y ago
So you're against new businesses? News flash you are not supposed to live out your life with a minimum wage job. It's why jobs of higher pay exist.
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