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Starbucks Baristas: The daily grind

Full History - 2021 - 05 - 13 - ID#nbzrmv
27
Got fired and I need to vent (self.starbucksbaristas)
submitted by Kitten_Monger127
Content warning: self harm

I was fired at the end of January. I'm venting about it months later on here because IDK I forgot and trauma or something.

I was start off by saying I have autism, sensory processing disorder, anxiety, and likely ADHD. And there was one shift supervisor I nearly always worked with that was not patient with neurodivergent people like myself and was really just an angry person. She caused me panic attacks so many times. And I've even self harmed in the bathroom at work because of her. So this job was really hard and stressful for me.

Anyways, I got my first strike relatively early on for coming in late a few days. The issue is I was using a non-standard alarm app on my phone. When my phone updated, I didn't realize that the alarm app stopped working. I could set an alarm, but it wouldn't go off. (I know because I tested it after I was written up).

Strike two was because I swore on the floor. Mind you, I've never swore in front of a customer. And my shift supervisors would swear on the floor all the fucking time.

Strike three was for calling off without a replacement. I have chronic pain, and one day it decided to flair up really badly. I tried to find coverage by texting multiple people and posting in the Facebook but got nothing. Working that day would have made my chronic pain even worse. So I called off.

I was fired after I came back from my third isolation... They made me come into my shitty 4:30am shift and fired me at 6:00am when the manager arrived. Fucking depraved assholes. I've been unemployed since, unable to find a job. And I'm not eligible for unemployment. I live alone.

This company is fucking trash. Their coffee beans are burnt trash. They STILL use slave labor to harvest their coffee. I've not had a job wreck my mental health as bad as this place.

FUCK Starbucks!
brucewillisispegged 15 points 2y ago
Have you called your DM?
I have complex PTSD and from experience Starbucks takes mental health accomodations more seriously than pretty much any other issue I've seen- when I started work I was having daily panic attacks and calling off all the time. Like you, I got a write up for sporadic attendance. I decided something had to change and I took the initiative to make that happen.

Starbucks doesn't like being held liable for mental health crises and will do pretty much anything to keep that from happening. When I had a shift tell me my mental illness and trauma didn't matter and "everyone has a little PTSD" I made sure to confirm that was the way he felt and I promptly reported him. That shift no longer has a job at Starbucks.

File an ethics and compliance complaint against that shift, make sure you've submitted a complaint in writing and over the phone to your district manager. When I did, the accommodation went from a store manager telling me I could run to the bathroom sometimes if I was freaking out, to corporate mandating I be allowed a few minutes off the floor every 40 minutes. The response and care I received from the corporate angle was perfect. There are steps in place for you to feel comfortable at work, the hard part is finding the initiative to use them. Starbucks has flagship stores specifically meant to cater to people who are deaf, people who are on the spectrum, people who suffer from terrible trauma, and the list goes on. I hate seeing posts like these, because it means one of two things- your manager has refused to accomodate you according to ADA requirements OR you haven't put in the effort to ensure a healthy working environment for yourself. Both aren't good for you. Information about exactly how starbucks can help you manage your condition should be public knowledge both on the floor and to new hires. part of your onboarding process contains a list of conditions that your are fully capable of marking down, and by law, the company has to accommodate without retaliation or discrimination.

At the same time unfortunately, profanity on the floor of starbucks is a fireable offense, even if you hear others using it it doesn't make it appropriate or justifiable. My manager is in the process of being removed from her store because she hasn't cracked down on this. It is taken seriously, because the offense can lead to equal employment claims, lawsuits, ethics and compliance cases and the like.


Call your DM, apologize for swearing, and see if your other write-ups can be amended and your position reinstated if that's what you want. More often than not corporate hasn't been made aware of the issues you face and they'll shit themselves head over heels to make sure you aren't leaving as a disgruntled employee. shitty shifts can make it seem like the company doesn't care, but for legal purposes, they have to and do. The tools are there. YOU have to use them and not make excuses about why you can't.
Kitten_Monger127 [OP] 1 points 2y ago
Thank you for all this information. With all due respect though I just kinda wanna leave Starbucks behind me. The way the job inherently works just wasn't compatible with my disabilities. I have no desire to work there again.
noob_trees 1 points 2y ago
SOooo many places are hiring rn homie..
Kitten_Monger127 [OP] 3 points 2y ago
Trust me I know. I've had a few interviews to no avail
Agartha33 2 points 2y ago
And most are paying a pittance. I hate the current job climate.
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